Comparing Plato's Cave And The Movie

The Matrix- Plato’s Cave What are the restrictions and boundaries of our own actions and thoughts? One could say that the world we live in today is a prison for our minds. This prison mediates our senses, and blocks us from divine truth and knowledge. For one thing is true, knowledge is power and power is freedom. Plato’s allegory of the cave paints us a picture of this prison. I will be discussing the similarities between Plato’s cave and The Matrix, the movie. Although we may feel content with our lives and feel a sense of completion, seeing the world as it truly is by breaking from this prison brings us to a whole new level of plenitude. Plato describes the cave as a dark cavern that houses prisoners. These prisoners are chained in such a way that they can only see what is in front of them. Being able to move or look around is not an option. Behind them

For example, Plato’s cave describes the prisoners as being blinded from reality. Much like these prisoners, Neo was also blinded from the real world. The matrix controlled him and kept him in his comfort zone. The matrix was the chains binding Neo to the only home and social environment he knew. Another element that is common to both Plato’s cave and The Matrix is the liberator. The liberator in Plato’s cave already knows the truth and is on a mission. He must effectively remove a prisoner from his comfort zone and expose him to reality. Once the prisoner is aware of the truth and accepts the truth, the liberator repeats his mission or the freed slave becomes the new liberator. The Matrix also has a liberator, Morpheus. Morpheus is sent into the matrix to save Neo. Many other elements like the struggle of the prisoners before they see the truth and the rescuer being a hero are shared between The Matrix and the allegory. The Matrix does an excellent job in painting us the elements of the allegory and helps us understand Plato’s theory of