Allegory of the Cave

Dr. Cook

Humanities

2/17/2012

“Everyone can have a different reality.” When i first heard this statement i didn't believe that was possible. Why? Because what i believe is real ,can be unreal to others. I will compare and contrast the realities between the video “The Matrix” and Plato’s essays “The Allegory of The Cave.”

One of the main characters in The Matrix is called Neo. He is the one, perceived as a superhero and put to the test to see if he can save the world from being a controlled universe, therefore he gets send into a underground computerized world. The essay starts out with the understanding that their are prisoners who have been living in a underground den and eventually get let out to the world of earth. Neo tries to figure out reality behind a computer, the prisoners get taken out of the den, and so both get placed in different worlds.

In the middle of the video Morphies gives Neo a choice between a blue or red pill. The blue pill meant letting Neo go back to the world he was used to, the red pill meant following Morphies into a world of computed humans. I mentioned earlier how the prisoners of the cave lived underground, where they have been from their childhood. The difference is that the prisoners didn't get a choice on their reality. Neo chose to believe there was a different reality by taking the red pill. On contrast, all throughout the essay the prisoners are questioned weather if they will be able to change their belief of reality from what they were first taught underground.

In conclusion, Neo frees everyone from a controlled universe and the prisoners try and find distinction. All the factors of life can change everyones reality.