The Matrix – Names, Symbols, Motifs

Just a reminder… Symbols – Things in the film that represent more than themselves. Eg. The blue and red pills. Motifs – Repeated images that link to a main idea in the film. Eg. Telephones.

Names What is the significance of the following names in The Matrix? Some are quite tricky, try to utilise everyone at your table’s knowledge. If you’re not sure, move on to the next one. Hint: One is anagrammatic. Neo Trinity Morpheus Cypher

Names Neo – Anagram of “one”. Means new, revived. Anderson (son of man) 9 Greek root Andros (man). Doubting Thomas. (Doubting son of man) Trinity – Completes trinity of Morpheus, Neo, and herself. Could relate to the trinity in the Bible – The Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Morpheus – God of dreams in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. (The drug morphine is named after him) Has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams. Cypher – Lucifer. “Don’t hate me Trinity, I’m just the messenger.” – Lucifer calls himself the messenger.

Names and Synthesisers Correlations with names of synthesisers Morpheus - E-MU Morpheus synthesisers. Trinity - Korg Trinity synthesisers. Matrix - Oberheim Matrix synthesisers. As for numbers: 303 and 101 are Roland techno synthesisers marks Definitions of synthesiser - "an electronic keyboard instrument that can generate reasonable imitations of other instruments."

Plato’s Cave

Inside the cave How is Plato’s Cave similar to the world of the matrix?

Release from the cave How does this compare to Morpheus’ claim that most people are not ready to be freed from the matrix? Why free mainly younger people from the matrix? The sun is described as “in a certain way” being the cause of the things seen in the cave. How is the matrix as a programme based on reality?

Return to the cave How similar is the attitude of Neo similar to the returning prisoner? How would you expect Neo (like the returning prisoner) to be treated upon his return by those in the matrix?

The Wachowskis’ Cave Using the model of Plato’s Cave, design a labelled picture that shows people’s experience in the matrix. You should show how the slaves experience simulated life and are deprived of the real thing. The drawing/diagram needs to be labelled and explained.

The Nebuchadnezzar The Nebuchadnezzar – Crew’s ship. Biblical reference to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon from the Book of Daniel. He is known for conquering Judah and Jerusalem and exiling the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a huge image made of various materials. The prophet Daniel tells him it stands for the rise and fall of powers. Unfortunately he also loses his mind because of his pride – this is irrelevant to The Matrix

Plaque on Nebuchadnezzar Reads “Mark III No. 11 Made in Usa Year 2069 The Christian Bible’s Mark 3:2 reads: "And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, they would fall down in front of him shrieking, 'You are the Son of God!'"

Red and Blue Pills Neo’s choice to find out about the Matrix. Foreshadowed twice. 1. Mr Anderson’s boss explaining he has a choice to either show up to work on time, or find another job. 2. Mr Smith gives Mr Anderson the choice of helping him to find Morpheus or risk trouble with the law (and agents). “One of these lives has a future, the other does not”. (Irony)

Hotel Lafayette Marquis de Lafayette 1757-1834. French Aristocrat and Military officer. General in American Revolutionary War (1775-’83) Leader of Garde Nationale (middle class) during the French Revolution (1789-’99) Member of Society of Friends of the Blacks – pushed for end of slave trade and equal rights for free African Americans. Wrote to George Washington in 1783 urging emancipation of African Americans. Protected Louise XVI and Marie Antoinette in storm Versailles

Telephones As always represents communication or lack thereof. Between humans and machines. Also the barrier between the real and programmed world. How “information” is passed between real and programmed world.

Clothing (Protagonists) Black leather, Glasses. Show characters’ separation from the enslaved inhabitants of the Matrix. Dark clothing reflects both the world the characters live in (the earth ruled by machines) and their dangerous task. In a way reflect agents “inhumanity”

Clothing (Agents (Antagonists)) Shows separation from enslaved humans in Matrix. Tidy, trim appearance reflects who they are – programmes. They are by nature bound by rules and must be tidy. (Programmes and math don’t work if things are untidy)

Simulcra and Simulation Book Philosophical treatise by Jean Baudrillard. Looks at the relationship between symbols, reality and society. Argues contemporary society has replaced all meaning with symbols and signs. That human experience is a simulation of reality. These signs hide the truth that reality is irrelevant to today’s society. Hence the book is a symbol of a hidden world, one that is irrelevant to the world of the matrix.

Four Examples Contemporary media including television, film, print, and the Internet, -blurring the line between products that are needed (in order to live a life) and products for which a need is created by commercial images. Exchange value, in which the value of goods is based on money rather than usefulness, and moreover usefulness comes to be quantified and defined in monetary terms in order to assist exchange. Multinational capitalism - separates produced goods from the plants, minerals including the people and their cultural context used to create them. Urbanization, which separates humans from the nonhuman world, and re-centres culture around productive throughput systems so large they affect alienation.

101 and 303 Linked to university paper codes First paper in a subject – 101. 101 could also relate to binary code used by computers. Third year papers – in the three hundreds. 101 on Neo’s door with White Rabbit. 303 seen just before Neo is shot and subsequently “believes”.

Other references: The Wizard of Oz “Kansas is going bye bye.” Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – White rabbit. Morpheus “You must feel a little like Alice…” (Lewis Carroll: "It's a story about consciousness, a child's perception of an adult world.“) Dystopian genre eg. Orwell’s 1984

In groups Discuss how your chosen symbol, motif, name relates to the film and creates meaning. Divide your A3 into 4 squares. Complete the following, one for each square: Example Meaning Purpose and Effect Relevance to rest of film