Paradise Lost And The Matrix Comparison Essay

Jane Addams once said “[a]ction indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics”. This quote is seen throughout two complex medias: John Milton’s Paradise Lost and the film “The Matrix”. In Paradise Lost, Eve, a woman who is tempted by Satan, faces a difficult decision between eating from a tree that gives her knowledge or staying loyal to God. In “The Matrix”, Neo, the main character that converts to the Matrix, must face the hard choice between experience the real world or continuing living in the fake world. Similarly, these two are given the option to experience knowledge since they have lived in a world where knowledge is nonexistent. Many questions and assumptions arise through examining their choice to accept the consequences knowledge

Correspondingly, it may also be argued that it is better to be considered a “happy slave” than to be classified as a “sad free person”. This ideology illustrates the values hidden within the characters; in Neo, the reader sees a brave man who is trustworthy and willing to experience the unknown in order to witness the real world (Matrix). In Paradise Lost, gullible Eve reveals how she is ambitious to discover what it is like to be just like Satan, which highlights her desire to be happy (Milton). Again, the reader recognizes the fearlessness behavior these two characters uphold, which exhibits their desire to seek change. One can argue that these two characters have dealt with some sort of tragedy in the past, and they are willing to make bold decisions to finally feel happy again. Moreover, it is evident that these two characters are willing to be slaves to any persona as long as they are happy. Broadly, their willing to be happy, which is the most essential resolution to living a successful life, convinces me to take the red pill/eat from the tree of knowledge, since I will eventually live a delightful

The simplest answer to this question is to turn to ethics and examine what exactly is worth giving up to discover the ultimate goal. It can be argued exactly who in these works are considered the protagonist, but overall their reasonings are relatively good because they turn to their ethics. If Eve and Neo did not turn to their morality, it would be harder to find any good in them. Since these characters turned to their ethics, it inspires me to turn to my ethics so I can make the correct decision in difficult situations. Through examining the two characters, I realized that I must ask myself the broader question, which reveals the good in me, which would lead me to take the red pill/eat from the tree of