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In class we talk about myths, stories, and how people express ideas. Black Myth: Wukong is a new video game based on a really old Chinese story called Journey to the West. It’s about a monkey warrior who fight monsters and also tries to find truth or something more spiritual.

This game mix up old legends with new tech. It look really good and feels deep too. It shows we still care about big ideas like good vs evil, power, and being human.

Also, the game show how we still make new stuff — like turning books into games. It’s kind of like chivalry, but not with knights — more like hero fighting for something bigger. Wukong isn’t perfect, but he still a kind of hero.

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Machiavellianism, is something we studied in class, and it is also something that is definitely connected to the modern world today, and still being practiced. In simple terms, following the thought process of Machiavelli is to do whatever it takes to actually get into power, and then to keep it.

We can see modern connection of Machiavellianism today, per a similar report that was written in October by the Washington Monthly, comparing POTUS Donald Trump, to how he is a modern day example of the philosophy, based on how he handles criticism and opposition of his past opponents, and how Machiavelli's writing from "The Prince" aligns with Trump using others as scapegoats for the ability on having a common enemy in order to unify his followers.

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2024/10/09/how-donald-trump-is-channeling-machiavelli/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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How Donald Trump is Channeling Machiavelli | Washington Monthly

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Trump’s Threats to Prosecute and Imprison Critics Are More Serious than You May Think. Or How Trump Echoes Niccolo Machiavelli’s brutal advice for rulers.

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"Hollow Knight", "Blasphemous", and Human art and creativity

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I wanted to focus on a subject dear to me, that being art and video games. There have been debates raging on for years now about whether video games themselves are an art form and if they can be seen as creative expression. I picked these two games to talk about for two reasons: One, Blasphemous harkens back to religious imagery and aesthetics often seen during the Renaissance, showing that in the modern day, 2019, being when the game was released, there are still reflections of the ideas presented back then. And two, they were both created by a relatively small team. Blasphemous was developed by "the game kitchen", a team of 17 people at the time, and Hollow Knight was made by "team cherry" a team consisting of only 3 people. Both of these teams didn't have funding from major studios, both of the games were crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and while they both did get a large amount of funding, the thing that started their creation and allowed both studios to keep adding free content to the games as well as develop larger, more expansive sequels was because of their passion for creation. Art and innovation are still alive and well in many different forms, one of them being video games.

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Zias and B. Lue ask: “Which is faster, sound or light?”
At face value, light is faster science tells us that. But the question isn't just about physics it’s about perception.

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Does it concern expression and its acceptance?

Yes, Breaking Bad explores expression through Walter White’s descent into crime, where his desire to express his worth and power becomes distorted, similar to Macbeth’s tragic ambition.

Are we still innovating?

Yes, but innovation often comes at a moral cost. Walter's innovations in the drug world mirror Macbeth’s destructive rise to power, showing how ambition can lead to downfall.

Is this a humanist world? A spiritual one? Or something else?

It’s a humanist world—focused on individual choice and moral struggles. Both Breaking Bad and Macbeth explore human ambition without spiritual redemption.

Are people satisfied with systems of government?

No. Both Walter White and Macbeth reject and disrupt established systems due to dissatisfaction, leading to chaos and their eventual downfalls.

Is chivalry dead?

Yes. Both Breaking Bad and Macbeth show characters abandoning honor and integrity for power, highlighting the death of chivalric ideals.

Source:https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/plot-analysis/

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Nikiforos Vouteris & Nikolaos Vasileios Vranakis

Additional insight toward the connection made in class between Girolamo Savonarola and the Greek MP taking down what he interprets as blasphemous artworks in the national gallery:

Although I understand the connection made in class between Girolamo Savonarola and the MP I believe that there is a big difference between rennaisance art and the artists' submission to the National Art Gallery, firstly, one can see a big difference through the public perception of renaissance art during the renaissance times with this art, during the renaissance, as we discussed in class, artists were commissioned heavily by patrons to paint, decorate and add their experimental at the time art style to buildings like churches, chapels and public infrastructure. In this scenario, the art submitted to the National Art Gallery was only being critical of the modern icons and figures used in churches, rather than trying to improve on anything. Through this significant difference one can see how the art in the national gallery doesn't contribute the same as the renaissance style did back then, it only promoted negative themes in society like criticism to established Greek symbols, which in my opinion have no place in the National Gallery of Greece.

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Karolina, Shaya, Maddie

The Last Judgment within the Sistine Chapel was considered scandalous partially due to its presentation of nudity, which was later covered by a different artist. We connected this display of modesty and art with modern representations of it through acceptable church attire. There is still a prominent church culture around modesty which affects expression, though the standards have become much less strict from the Renaissance times. Essentially we have seen similarities in how the religious culture during the renaissance and now are limited in expression whether that be through painting or ones church attire.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.cityrometours.com/en/blog/travel-in-rome/5-curiosities-of-michelangelo-the-lastjudgment.html%23:~:text%3DThe%2520depiction%2520of%2520nude%2520figures,to%2520cover%2520the%2520exposed%2520bodies.&ved=2ahUKEwiduKeVifOMAxUf6wIHHUL2Ii8QFnoECBkQAw&usg=AOvVaw0rlcdz58P6zhXDkJYge6r-

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Pouyan, George, Kon

In my class on the humanities, we learned about the fall and corruption of the Byzantine Empire which had a down fall from corruption within, political instability, constant war, and its failure to adapt to changing times. Now we can relate the ancient phenomenon to current apprehensions about the stability and effectiveness of governments today around the world.

For example, in the 21st century, many people all over the world are unhappy with their governments. Protests, social movements, and public debate tend to bring to corruption, erosion of democratic values, and economic inequality. These are some of the same internal weaknesses that were present in the Byzantine Empire.

No country is immune to dealing with issues of governance and maintaining popular trust. The fall of the Byzantine Empire reminds us that.

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Connection Luigi Mangion & Girolamo Savonarola - Elli, Niri

Both Luigi Mangion and Girolamo Savonarola represent voices of dissent who rose in times of public dissatisfaction with leadership and societal norms. Savonarola, a 15th-century friar, challenged the corrupt Medici rule and Church excesses, calling for moral and political reform in Florence, eventually leading to his execution. Similarly, Mangion, often seen as a modern symbol of protest (as discussed on platforms like The Guardian, Wired Magazine, and social media), confronts institutional power and societal expectations through controversial expression. Both figures raise critical questions about freedom of speech, acceptance, and whether people feel truly represented by their governments. Their legacies highlight how systems often silence those who speak too boldly against them, even when they express the frustrations of the public.

Works Cited:

The Guardian. “Luigi Mangion and the Limits of Modern Protest.” The Guardian, 15 Sept. 2023.

Wired Magazine. “Voices Against the System: The Relevance of Dissent in the Digital Age.” Wired, 22 Jan. 2024.

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Micah and Simi

Severance is a modern day TV show which has gained a lot of acclaim. Within the TV show, paintings which harkens back to religious paintings of antiquity are used to add religious proportions to simple office life. This modern day example shows how paintings of old were and are impactful enough to be a conduit by which scale can be added. As our art evolves it continues to use these classic mediums and general feelings showing that human art has some common soul to it across generations and mediums. I thnk this raeally ana rihaihroi3h