Topic 1

Lorenzo de Medici warns Michelangelo “forces of destruction march on the heels of creativity.” Does Michelangelo find that to be true during his career? In what ways do the forces of destruction manifest themselves?

Topic 2

Two people who Michelangelo admires—Lorenzo de Medici and Vittoria Colonna—both renounce their beliefs when on their deathbeds. They both apologize for thinking independently of the Church and seek absolution in subservience. Michelangelo does not. What is the significance of the difference, and what does that say about the nature of their respective endeavors and respective characters?

Topic 3

In his artwork, Michelangelo seeks to express truths that “transcend time” in the “immortality of the marbles,” as well as his other work. Yet Michelangelo’s art is colored by his time. The Last Judgment fresco, for example, shows Michelangelo’s disgust with the hypocrisy, greed, and foolishness he has had to...