Introduction
A Modern Rhetorical Analysis of "The Matrix"

To put it as simply as Morpheus does in the movie: "No one can be told what the matrix is...It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you." For those characters in the movie, true understanding goes beyond a simple metacognition. They cannot simply think about their imprisonment. They must literally break free. To borrow images from Plato's allegory, they must escape the cave before they can begin to see the events of the matrix as the flickering shadows on the wall. The characters must experience the abjection of the defiled and discover their own poetic ideal.

More than just a science fiction action movie, The Matrix takes advanatge of rhetorical and philosophical underpinnings to strike a chord in viewers. The movie resonates precisely because it captures "eternal questions" as well as taps into modern rhetorical thought and religious and literary symbolism.

This hypertext analaysis focuses primarily on the modern rhetorical themes set forth by Kenneth Burke and Julie Kristeva. However, it could be expanded with the additional of other hypertext lexia exploring classical rhetorical devices and various literary and/or religious themes. To contribute to this project, contact the creator of these pages.