»Smith's Inexplicably Stupid Behavior«

Smith: The great and powerful Oracle. We meet at last. I suppose you've been expecting me, right? The all-knowing Oracle is never surprised. How can she be, she knows everything. But If that's true, then why is she here? If she knew I was coming, why didn't she leave? *sweeps plate of cookies off table* Maybe you knew I was going to do that, maybe you didn't. If you did, that means you baked those cookies and set that plate right there deliberately, purposefully. Which means you're sitting there also deliberately, purposefully.
[...]
Oracle: Do what you're here to do.
Smith: Yes, ma'am.
[Smith takes over the Oracle]

Obviously Smith knows that the Oracle wants him to take her over, that she has some purpose in mind. Smith also knows that the Oracle is against him. So why does he do it? Why not just kill her?

Smith/Oracle: What? What did I just say? No... No, this isn't right, this can't be right. Get away from me!
Neo: What are you afraid of?
Smith/Oracle: It's a trick!
Neo: You were right, Smith. You were always right. It was inevitable.
[Smith/Oracle imprints over Neo]

Smith knows it's a trick. Neo doesn't resist. Why would Smith do it? Why not continue beating the fuck out of Neo until he dies, which probably wasn't that far off?

ADDENDUM

Also, once Smith takes over the Oracle and her powers, he should be able to see the outcome of the fight.

Smith it seems, didn't have a choice when he copied over The Oracle.
He did what he did because he had no choice but to do it.
When he became aware at the end that he did have a choice he became afraid, and didn't understand what was happening. DAMN SHAME , really..

Well, I suppose Smith had become a force of nature. Like all forces of nature, it does what it does. In a way Smith is a tragic figure.

AKC wrote :

Quote:

Well, I suppose Smith had become a force of nature. Like all forces of nature, it does what it does. In a way Smith is a tragic figure.

I like that comparison very much, I've never thought about Smith in this way.... That will give me something else to think about. A force of nature both creative and destructive....nice one...

[quote="Another Smith"]AKC wrote :

Quote:

Well, I suppose Smith had become a force of nature. Like all forces of nature, it does what it does. In a way Smith is a tragic figure.

I really like that, but have you remembered that Smith just wants to take over everything and destroy both the humans and the machines?

Hex wrote :

Quote:

I really like that, but have you remembered that Smith just wants to take over everything and destroy both the humans and the machines?

Yes and isn't nature always trying to reclaim...
And remember that Smith really didn't have a choice...He just did what he did....

A force of nature? I don't think so.

Wouldn't that mean that Neo is also a force of nature?

Also see Addendum to the first post.

Heres something that you should consider. Remember the Merovingian's speech in Reloaded(at the resturarant)? "Choice is an illusion..." perhaps this rings true even for machines. So even if Smith knew his fate after absorbing the Oracle, he was powerless to stop it. Then again, maybe he didn't know because "we can't passed the choices we don't understand."

Sorry, but my typing is rather terrible today, the final quote in my reply should read "we can't see passed the choices we don't understand."

RazoR wrote:

Heres something that you should consider. Remember the Merovingian's speech in Reloaded(at the resturarant)? "Choice is an illusion..." perhaps this rings true even for machines. So even if Smith knew his fate after absorbing the Oracle, he was powerless to stop it. Then again, maybe he didn't know because "we can't passed the choices we don't understand."

He obviously knew something was going on.

The Oracle says, "You and I may not be able to see beyond our own choices..."

Lysander wrote:

A force of nature? I don't think so. Wouldn't that mean that Neo is also a force of nature? Also see Addendum to the first post.

I know there's this thing about Neo and Smith being "opposites", which is as much a metaphor as Smith being a "force of nature" (Storm of the Century, the Big One hitting Cal, the Hurricane blasting North Carolina). Ultimately these are, of course, not explanations but descriptions.

Personally I think the Matrix is a lot more interesting if we don't take their being "opposites" too literally. Put it simply, Neo did have a choice (the Merovingian's deep but pessimistic statement about choice not withstanding) in a way I don't see Smith having, at least after he Changed.

Also, the Oracle is merely an intuitive program. She had within her a model for estimating the probabilities of event nodes given a huge wealth of knowledge past and present. She herself also actively made choices to bring about certain events. But she is fallible.

The idea that Neo and Smith are opposites should be taken literally, I say this because it basically explains Smith "dumb" behaviour, Through Neo destroying him in M1, I beilieve the part that might have copied over from Neo to Smith is the ability to not only grow as a human, but expierience human emotions, explaining his menacing laugh after he copies the oracle and explaining is overall human transformation in the 2nd and 3rd, in comparison Neo begins to act a lot more seriously, with short answers that get straight to the point. This also in a way could explain his power to destroy 4 sentinels, he transcends his power into the real world just as Smith does by copying Bane, and they both have powers within the Matrix as well, this is of course all speculation, but I think the idea that Neo and Smith, if viewed as opposite could bring a lot of explaination to certain aspects of the Series even if it is only in a Supernatural way as opposed to Literal.

Smith did gain the Oracles powers.
Right after he takes her over he takes off his sunglasses.
and he looks around as if looking at something specific.

This is him looking into the future and realizing he's going to beat neo.

Thats why he laughs.

Thats why all the other Smiths' dont fight along.
They dont need to.
They've seen how the fight ends. Smith wins.

(that's also why he's going on about "wait i've seen this.."

-e-

Smith loves himself - he thinks he is God - he wants to destroy everything - he won't stop until matrix is destroyed - he won't stop until there is nothing left. Consider how you'd act if you'd know you are unbeatable? He is acting exactly as could be expected, and the part when Smith makes a little visit to Oracle's place is awesome. Exactly how I expected it to be.
Why did he copy Oracle? Why didn't he kill her?
He could have done that, but who knows how powerful oracle is, though this isn't quite the reason.
Neo: "What do you want, Smith?"
Smith: "Oh still haven't figured out, still using all the muscles except the one that matters? - I want the same as you want, I want everything."
and as the following > Oracle: "What do all men with power want? - More power."
This is the reason why Smith doesn't simply kill Oracle, he wants more power, he wants more Smiths. And as he realizes that he has taken over the Oracle, he is already scared, of what is happening.
This is obvious, and this turned out to be end of Smith.

Smith being over confident is probably because he think he is nearly immortal because of his ability to copy himself. It's the same with Bane/Smith who purposefully sabotaged the ships even though he could have been killed in the act or by any surviving crew. He knew that if he did die the rest of the Smith programs would continue to survive. I think for him victory is more important than anything else including wether he lives or dies.