As Trinity makes her rooftop escape, pursued by Agent Brown and several police, she makes a seemingly impossible jump. The police, who are just men, wearing a uniform, doing a job, stop. Their lives, their futures just aren’t worth the risk. Trinity is unrestricted by such limitations and running for her life.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

- Hippocrates

Of course, we know that in the movie, the Matrix is not real. As such, the constructed reality is limited, to some extent, by belief. This is one of the strongest messages that comes from the authors. Although, it would be inadvisable to attempt a forty foot leap between seven story buildings, regardless of personal conviction, the idea still somehow compelling.

As a metaphor though, with the Matrix representing the rules of society, the majority of people will see anything that breaks the rules as impossible.

The only exceptions are those who have equal conviction in upholding one law at the expense of breaking another… ie. an agent.

It is only when Neo defeats him (defeats the law) that Smith becomes “unplugged” and “free”. He becomes far more powerful than the other agents, and outside of the direct control of the Matrix. He can also rally anyone into his ranks. A law unto himself.

He is the system’s extreme reaction to an extreme situation, with only one goal, destruction of the enemy. ie. martial law.

“They can move in and out of any software still hardwired to their system. That means that anyone that we haven’t unplugged is potentially an Agent. Inside the Matrix, they are everyone and they are no one.”

 

Morpheus – The Matrix

They appear in old ladies wielding carving knives, tramps and truck drivers. They all have innocuous, common names that give them an ambiguous identity… as if their identity (or who they are) isn’t important.

As such, the agents are not representative of any physical entity. They are more like an idea.

As an archetype, they represent the law. The upholding of law is not just limited to police, anyone with a strong sense of righteousness will welcome the opportunity to become a hero for a day. The law is undefeatable, everywhere, but nowhere and protects the system at all costs.

They party, they take drugs and have come to offer Neo the Choix du jour (choice of the day), a choice to enter their world. (an interesting hint to the possibilities of mind altering drugs maybe?)