Character Archetype Analysis
Galileo Galilei once said, “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself” (Wise 2019). In the movie, The Matrix, Morpheus is seen as the group’s mentor. Morpheus fits the description of the mentor character archetype because he helps teach and train his “initiates,” is seen as a father figure, and has given his crew a gift of sorts.
Morpheus is the mentor character archetype as he teaches and trains his crew. In The Matrix, Morpheus was training with Neo, saying: “What are you waiting for? You're faster than this. Don't think you are, know you are. Come on. Stop trying to hit me and hit me” (00h 52m 45s). Morpheus is instructing Neo to not think but to know he is stronger, he is faster and he knows he can hit Morpheus. Once Neo fully understands what Morpheus is trying to teach him, he finally did corner Morpheus and shows how he was able to land a strike without landing it. However, Morpheus is able to fit more into the mentor archetype.
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As Morpheus helped others escape the Matrix and helped guide them and take care of them, he has also been looked up to by the group. As Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are standing in a building, Morpheus states: “Neo, sooner or later you're going to realize just as I did that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path” (The Matrix 01h 52m 08s). Morpheus is trying to help Neo realize that while Neo may realize how difficult the path is, it may be different if he walked it. Morpheus did more for the crew than just teaching them and guiding them as a father