the name morpheus is that of the god of dreams in greek mythology, which is consistent with the character's involvement with the "dreaming" of the matrix. the mythical morpheus and his family, including two brothers (phobetor and phantasos), lived in a dream world protected by the gates of morpheus with two monsters standing guard. beyond the gates were the river of forgetfulness, beside which morpheus once carried his father to hide in a cave, and the river of oblivion. this theme of duality carries over to morpheus in the matrix, who offers neo either a blue pill (to forget about the matrix and continue to live in the world of illusion) or a red pill (to enter the painful world of reality).