Character Analysis
The Oracle sure is talked about a lot, even though she doesn't get a lot of screen time. At first, like Morpheus, she is an enigma: a name that sounds awfully important but that we don't quite understand.
And then we finally meet her she turns out to be an old lady who enjoys baking things like cookies and noodles. Not exactly what Neo (or we) were expecting. Her lobby is a strange mix between a kindergarten room and a Buddhist temple and her kitchen is, well, a kitchen.
She gives him a regular check-up and then tells him he's not The One… or does she? Go back and watch that scene again: Neo says that Neo isn't The One. All the Oracle says is:
ORACLE: You already know what I'm going to say.
Then Neo supplies the rest. Then she gives him a real prophecy: one that doesn't even end up being true.
So how, exactly is she an Oracle?
Perhaps she's meant to be nothing more than a grandmotherly lady who makes us question the nature of fate and free will. In some sense, the most serious question of the movie is whether Neo "would have broken the vase if she hadn't said anything." Check out our Themes section for more on the juicy topic of Fate and Free Will.