Comparing Neo's Monomyth In The Odyssey And Gilgamesh
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The Matrix could be viewed as an epic of today’s time for many reasons. Epics of our past such as the poems “The Odyssey” and “Gilgamesh” all contain several elements. These elements include but are not limited to serious tone, ethics and heroism. As Neo, our hero in the Matrix, goes through his journey of separation, initiation, and return, like that of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, the epic unfolds. Epic stories such as these generally start out with an ordinary world. This ordinary world is the only one we are aware of. In this film, Neo lives in our world but feels like there is something more to it than what is reveled. He is beckoned by Trinity and undergoes a process called refusal. Neo then meets with a mentor named Morpheus who gives…show more content… In this world he is trained to understand and undergoes several tests. Even though he is doubtful that he is “The One” who will save them from the villains, he becomes GREAT rather quickly. Still refusing to be the hero and believes it is Morpheus that will save the special world, Neo is faced with several test. Finally when Neo realizes that he is “The One”, he defeats Agent Smith, the antagonist and the virus. He becomes capable to save this special world and the hero is victorious. Now to go back to the ordinary world in which he use to know. The Return is the final process of the epic. He walks the streets of the ordinary world again with pep in his step. He no longer feels the need to follow the rules. This ordinary world is just a program and he is the maker. Now that Neo has journeyed though separation, initiation and return, we now know that he is the hero, the one who saved the Matrix. The tone is serious throughout the film with very little smiles. All situations, conversation and characters are serious because there is a task to be done and a goal to be accomplished with a detrimental effect if the war is lost. The goal was reached and the hero has won. The ethics were clearly displayed in this film. What is right and wrong has been reveled since Neo took the red pill. There would have been a major loss and the epic would have ceased to exist if Neo would have taken the blue pill. The