The Matrix and Dante's Il Convivio

Interpreting Metaphors from The Matrix.

The Matrix is a trilogy of movies about a man’s discovery that he has been a prisoner his entire life; physically held in a small capsule and living his life in a virtual world known as The Matrix.   Themes of choice, reality, and freedom are explored through extensive use of metaphors.    Obvious cultural metaphors present themselves and speak to the environment and the future.  Some metaphors are transparent and some contain meaning to those versed in the subject matter.  The overarching metaphor of the complete set of works speaks to enlightenment and the decisions we make.   Using Dante’s writings from Il Convivio provides an interpretive guide elevating The Matrix from a simple science fiction thriller to a story containing sophisticated philosophical insights.

Neo, the main character, receives a cryptic message implying he will find truth if he follows the white rabbit.  The white rabbit is discovered to be a tattoo on a minor character heading to a bar.  Dante instructs us to start with the literal meaning (187).  The white rabbit is a tattoo that signifies Neo should follow it.   Allegorical meaning is derived from the white rabbit: It is a character and a direct reference from Lewis Carroll’s, Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass.   Like Alice’s adventure, we gain a sense that Neo will be entering a world that is bizarre in its environment and populated with unique and interesting characters.  A moral teaching may be inferred that the path to truth can present itself from an insignificant source.   

A hidden metaphor is the character Morpheus.  Morpheus becomes Neo’s guide throughout the movies, both physically and intellectually.  The literal interpretation of Morpheus is an identifier that names a specific character.   Allegorical meaning is established as the name Morpheus refers to the Greek god of dreams (Morpheus).  Morpheus wakes up Neo with the message to follow the white rabbit.  Morpheus posits the question: “What is real?”  Morpheus extends the white rabbit metaphor by surmising that Neo must feel like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole (Matrix).  An anagogical meaning is derived through Morpheus’s personification of dream: That dream can be a mechanism to reach deeper levels of truth and understanding.  

 The complete works of the movie document the actions and final dispositions of the characters.  This is the literal interpretation.  An allegorical interpretation is a direct metaphor to Plato’s allegory of the cave found in The Republic (Plato).  The movie documents Neo’s transition from a prisoner within the Matrix to enlightenment.  As Neo’s knowledge increases he gains enhanced physical power within the Matrix.  He is then confronted with the usage of his growing power for the benefit of the other prisoners.   Much like the prisoners in the cave, the people within the Matrix are unable to conceive a reality beyond their environment.  The Matrix becomes the shadows on the cave wall.  Morpheus, and the environment he believes to be real, is also under control of the machines.  Morpheus’s environment is analogous to the fire.  It is only at the end, before Neo sacrifices himself for the good of humanity, that he sees the physical sun for the first time.

The introduction to Dante states that he is “ the first major theorist of European vernacular literature” (Dante 184).  The metaphorical interpretative works by Dante clearly enrich understanding.   Its application is as relevant today as it was in the 13^th and 14^th centuries.  Further, elevation of sophisticated philosophical ideas referenced through The Matrix use modern culture and vernacular language.   People walk away from The Matrix with a sense of the major philosophical questions posed by the movie.  The testament of this statement derives from the cultural metaphor “we live in the Matrix”, or “you live in the Matrix.”  A present day and common metaphor suggesting we are unable to perceive the forces shaping our lives.

Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante. Il Convivio.  The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.  Ed. Vincent B. Leitch et al.  2^nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 2010. 186-188. Print.

Alighieri, Dante.  The Letter to Can Grande. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.  Ed. Vincent B. Leitch et al.  2^nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 2010. 188-190. Print. 

Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. New York: Macmillan Company. 1865.  

The Matrix.  Dir. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Warner Bros. Pictures. 1999.  DVD.

“Morpheus.” Merriam Webster Dictionary.  Web. 26 January 2013.  www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morpheus.