Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh close out their episodes on Eros with Leo Tolstoy’s monumental novel Anna Karenina. They explore how Tolstoy intertwines two contrasting marriage plots—Anna’s tragic affair and Levin’s redemptive union with Kitty—to illuminate the tension between passion, virtue, and meaning in modern love. Along the way, Emily and Tim discuss Tolstoy’s critique of high society, the “woman question” in 19th-century Russia, and why Anna Karenina remains one of the most psychologically profound works ever written.

Episode Outline 

• Opening reading: Anna’s first appearance at the ball and Tolstoy’s breathtaking description of her poise and vitality
• The “marriage plot” tradition in European fiction and why Tolstoy expands it beyond romance into questions of faith and purpose
• The woman question, the man question, and changing gender roles in industrial society
• Levin as Tolstoy’s alter ego: spiritual seeker, social reformer, and bumbling idealist
• The pentagon of love: Oblonsky, Anna, Vronsky, Kitty, and Levin
• The ball scene and its double vision—social spectacle and emotional catastrophe
• Vronsky and Anna’s affair: passion, honor, and the collapse of moral coherence
• Dolly and Oblonsky’s broken marriage as foreshadowing
• Levin and Kitty: humility, healing, and the hard work of real marriage
• Anna’s growing isolation and societal exile—Tolstoy’s critique of hypocrisy
• The double standard between men and women in sin and punishment
• Levin’s moment of transcendence while mowing—finding joy in work, nature, and grace
• The legacy of Tolstoy’s two marriages: tragedy redeemed through meaning
• Reflections on translation and reading Russian literature in English (Constance Garnett’s legacy)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Two Marriages, Two Fates: Tolstoy contrasts Anna’s passion that destroys with Levin’s love that sanctifies; both reveal human longing for wholeness.
• The “Woman Question”: 19th-century debates about women’s independence evolve into timeless reflections on vocation, family, and social responsibility.
• Society and Hypocrisy: Tolstoy exposes the moral double standard that condemns women for transgression while excusing men like Vronsky.
• The Spiritual Quest: Levin’s awakening joins the physical and the divine—embodied work as revelation of grace.
• Marriage as Redemption: True love in Tolstoy’s vision demands humility, forgiveness, and moral renewal, not mere passion.

Questions & Discussion

• What do Anna’s and Levin’s stories reveal about the possibilities and limits of love?
  Compare how passion leads Anna to isolation while humility brings Levin to peace. What does this suggest about the relationship between love and self-knowledge?
• How does Tolstoy’s “woman question” speak to today’s debates about gender and fulfillment?
  Discuss whether the novel’s concerns about women’s social roles still resonate. How do Anna’s and Kitty’s choices reflect competing visions of freedom?
• What role does society play in Anna’s downfall?
  Consider Tolstoy’s portrait of aristocratic hypocrisy—how do gossip, status, and judgment contribute to tragedy?
• Why does Tolstoy end the novel not with Anna but with Levin?
  Reflect on why the story closes in spiritual serenity rather than despair. How does Levin’s labor and awakening resolve the novel’s central questions?
• How does translation shape our encounter with Tolstoy’s moral vision?
  Does accessibility or fidelity matter more when reading Tolstoy today?

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky 
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky  
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by Constance Garnett
• A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh unpack Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, exploring how this beloved novel redefines what makes a good marriage. The hosts trace Elizabeth Bennet’s spirited self-knowledge and Mr. Darcy’s humbling transformation to show how love matures through mutual respect, truth-telling, and growth. Along the way, they laugh over Mr. Collins’s oblivious proposals, the absurdities of Mrs. Bennet’s matchmaking, and the enduring appeal of Colin Firth’s iconic portrayal of Darcy. Together, they reveal why Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most intelligent and emotionally satisfying love stories in literature.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading from Pride and Prejudice and introduction of Austen’s world
• Why Pride and Prejudice stands as the quintessential romantic comedy
• Emily’s long love affair with the novel—and Tim’s early indifference
• The Bennet family and its five daughters: economic pressures and social maneuvering
• Mr. and Mrs. Bennet: the comic and cautionary marriage at the novel’s heart
• First impressions: Elizabeth’s wit, Darcy’s pride, and the spark of tension
• The dance scenes as metaphors for social order and romantic pursuit
• Mr. Collins, Charlotte Lucas, and the pragmatism of marriage as security
• Elizabeth’s refusal of Collins and Darcy’s disastrous first proposal
• The letter that transforms Elizabeth’s understanding—mutual humility and growth
• Lydia’s scandal and Darcy’s hidden act of restitution
• The resolution: love grounded in respect and equality
• Comparing good and bad marriages in the novel (Bennet, Lucas, Gardiner, Darcy)
• How Austen blends irony, moral seriousness, and humor
• Closing reflections on enduring appeal and cultural adaptations (BBC, film, etc.)

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Question of Marriage: Austen’s central inquiry—what makes a marriage good?—is tested through a range of examples: practical, foolish, and virtuous.
• Elizabeth Bennet’s Integrity: Her quick wit and moral independence challenge both societal expectations and her own prejudice.
• Darcy’s Transformation: His humility and self-reform mark a rare picture of masculine virtue in the romantic genre.
• Irony and Moral Vision: Austen’s humor exposes folly without cynicism, showing that true happiness depends on character, not wealth.
• A Study in Balance: The novel celebrates attraction grounded in mutual respect, contrasting passionate impulsiveness with enduring affection.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage distinct from the others in the novel?
  Compare their relationship to Charlotte and Mr. Collins or Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. What does Austen suggest is necessary for mutual respect and lasting happiness?
• Why is Austen’s opening line—“It is a truth universally acknowledged…”—so powerful and ironic?
  Discuss whether it functions as social satire, a universal truth, or both. How does it shape the reader’s expectations of the story?
• How does Elizabeth’s “prejudice” evolve throughout the novel?
  Explore the turning points that lead her from misjudgment to humility. What does this transformation reveal about genuine self-knowledge?
• What does the novel suggest about economic pressure and moral choice?
  Consider Charlotte Lucas’s marriage to Mr. Collins. Is her decision purely pragmatic—or does Austen grant her a certain dignity in her realism?
• In what ways does Austen redefine romance through comedy?
  Reflect on how laughter, wit, and irony allow love to emerge as both emotionally satisfying and morally serious.

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 
• The Taming of the Shrewby William Shakespeare 
• Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Simon Langton, written by Andrew Davies, BBC/A&E, 1995.
• Pride & Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, Working Title Films, 2005.

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh revisit Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, asking what makes this story so enduring and how it reshapes tragedy. They trace Romeo’s shift from infatuation to eloquent devotion, highlight Juliet’s prudence and wit, and map the play’s pivot from sparkling comedy to swift catastrophe. The hosts also consider parallels to sectarian conflict and the way the lovers’ deaths reconcile a city divided by an “ancient grudge.” 

Episode Outline

• Opening lines and why Romeo and Juliet may be Shakespeare’s most universally known story
• Romeo before Juliet: clichéd love-sighs and mockery of courtly-love conventions
• “She doth teach the torches to burn bright”: meeting Juliet and the sudden elevation of Romeo’s language
• Juliet’s innocence and wisdom: caution, prudence, and poetic brilliance (Nurse scenes)
• The structural “turn”: from masked-ball comedy to Act III tragedy (Tybalt, Mercutio, banishment)
• Forced marriage to Paris and Friar Lawrence’s risky plan
• Tomb scene and the play’s resolution: private tragedy, public reconciliation
• Comparing tragic models: character-flaw punishment vs. fated misrecognition; who is truly “punished”?
• Cultural echoes and adaptations: West Side Story; the 1996 Baz Luhrmann film
• Closing: why the reconciliation scene matters—and why this grief endures

Key Topics & Takeaways

• From Infatuation to True Speech: Before Juliet, Romeo’s language is wooden and self-dramatizing; after he sees her, his diction becomes vivid and precise—Shakespeare signals genuine love through better poetry.
• Juliet’s Prudent Innocence: Juliet is not naïve; she insists love must be deliberate (“too rash, too unadvised, too sudden”), shows wit with the Nurse, and matches Romeo in lyric power.
• Comedy to Catastrophe: Acts I–II play like a festive comedy; Act III turns on street violence (Tybalt/Mercutio), banishment, and a fateful plan that collapses by minutes.
• Who Bears the Tragic Penalty?: The lovers’ deaths heal the feud; the fathers acknowledge “poor sacrifices of our enmity.” The play’s moral center may indict the parents and the city more than the lovers. 

Questions & Discussion

• Is Romeo and Juliet a “classic” tragedy of character flaw—or something else?
  Consider the difference between punishment for vice (e.g., Macbeth) and tragic misrecognition or fatal timing. Where does this play belong, and why? 
• How does Shakespeare use language to show real love vs. infatuation?
  Compare Romeo’s early clichés to his imagery after meeting Juliet (e.g., “teach the torches to burn bright”). What changes in tone, precision, and metaphor? 
• What makes Juliet a compelling portrait of young wisdom?
  Trace moments of prudence (her “too rash” speech), humor (with the Nurse), and poetic strength. How do these complicate the stereotype of naïve youth? 
• Where does the play most forcefully critique the feud and the city?
  Weigh the banishment, the forced marriage to Paris, and the parents’ final vows. How does public disorder shape private doom—and reconciliation? 
• Why have adaptations and companion works endured (West Side Story, modern films)? Identify which elements—star-crossed love, civic division, youthful courage—translate most powerfully across settings and eras. 

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 
• As You Like It by William Shakespeare
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth 
• Antigone by Sophocles  
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri translated by Allen Mandelbaum 
• Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 20th Century Fox, 1996.
• West Side Story. Directed by Steven Spielberg, 20th Century Studios, 2021.

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh dive into Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, one of the most ambitious works in world literature. They examine how Dante portrays love—especially eros—when it becomes disordered, destructive, or distorted. From Francesca and Paolo in Inferno to the purifying flames of Purgatorio, the poem moves from the consequences of misplaced desire to the redemptive ordering of love toward God. Emily and Tim reflect on how Dante blends theology, poetry, and personal longing into a vision that still speaks to modern readers about desire, sin, and transformation.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflections on Dante’s life, exile, and literary ambition
• The structure of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso
• Francesca and Paolo: the tragic allure of adulterous love in Inferno
• The fire of purification in Purgatorio: eros redirected toward the divine
• Beatrice as guide: eros elevated into spiritual vision
• Dante’s theological synthesis of classical and Christian thought
• How love, in all its forms, orders the soul and the cosmos
• Closing reflections: why Dante’s vision of ordered and disordered eros endures

Key Topics & Takeaways Questions & Discussion

• Eros in Disorder: Francesca and Paolo’s story illustrates how passion, severed from virtue and fidelity, leads to eternal loss.
• Love as Purification: In Purgatorio, Dante shows that eros must be refined and reordered before it can ascend toward God.
• Beatrice and Transcendent Love: Beatrice personifies eros transformed—love that lifts Dante beyond self and toward the divine.
• A Christian Epic of Love: The Commedia synthesizes classical models of epic with Christian theology, showing how every love must be rightly ordered to flourish.
• The Enduring Challenge: Dante asks readers to confront their own loves—whether they bind us to sin or free us for union with God.

Questions & Discussion Suggested Reading

• How does Dante depict eros when it becomes disordered?
  Reflect on Francesca and Paolo’s story—why does Dante portray their passion as both sympathetic and damning?
• What role does purification play in Dante’s vision of love?
  Discuss the fires of Purgatorio and how they reframe eros not as rejection but as transformation.
• Why is Beatrice so central to Dante’s journey?
  Consider how she represents both personal love and transcendent grace.
• How does Dante integrate classical and Christian thought about love?
  Explore how figures like Virgil, alongside biblical and theological themes, shape Dante’s epic.
• What does the Commedia teach modern readers about the ordering of love?
  Debate whether Dante’s vision offers a corrective to today’s understanding of desire and fulfillment.

Suggested Reading

• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri translated by Allen Mandelbaum 
• The Aeneid by Virgil 
• The Bible (Genesis, Psalms, Revelation – scriptural echoes in Dante’s imagery)

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Plato’s Phaedrus, a dialogue that weaves together questions of love, rhetoric, and the soul. They trace Socrates’ speeches on the nature of desire, his paradoxical claim that love is both divine madness and a path to truth, and Plato’s broader concerns about the power and danger of persuasion. Emily and Tim unpack how Phaedrus challenges modern categories of romance, friendship, and eros, while reflecting on what it means for love to shape the soul’s ascent toward the divine.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflection on love as “divine madness”
• Why Plato’s Phaedrus stands apart in the dialogues
• Socrates’ first speech: love as destructive passion
• Socrates’ second speech: love as divine inspiration
• The myth of the charioteer: the soul’s struggle between reason and desire
• Plato on rhetoric: persuasion as both dangerous and necessary
• The link between love, truth, and the soul’s ascent
• Comparisons with Symposium and other Platonic dialogues
• Closing reflections on Phaedrus as a work about love, language, and longing

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Love as Madness and Gift: For Socrates, love is a form of divine madness—irrational yet capable of elevating the soul toward truth and beauty.
• The Charioteer Myth: Plato’s image of the soul as a charioteer struggling with two horses (reason and passion) dramatizes the tension within human desire.
• Rhetoric and Power: Plato warns of rhetoric’s dangers, yet also affirms its potential when aligned with truth and aimed at the good.
• Comparison with Symposium: Phaedrus offers a more dynamic, paradoxical vision of love, showing it as both perilous and transformative.
• Enduring Influence: The dialogue has inspired centuries of reflection on eros, persuasion, and the human longing for transcendence.

Questions & Discussion

• What does it mean to call love “divine madness”?
  Reflect on how Socrates redefines madness not as loss of reason but as a gift that breaks ordinary limits.
• How does the charioteer myth help us understand human desire?
  Consider the image of reason guiding passion—do you find it accurate to human experience, or overly dualistic?
• What role does rhetoric play in shaping the soul?
  Discuss whether persuasion can ever be morally neutral, or if it always points us toward truth or falsehood.
• How does Phaedrus compare with Symposium in its vision of love?
  Think about the similarities and differences between Socrates’ “ladder of love” in Symposium and the “madness of love” in Phaedrus.
• What might Phaedrus teach us about love today?
  Reflect on whether love in the modern sense still carries the potential to elevate us, or whether it has been reduced to sentiment or utility.

Suggested Reading

• Phaedrus by Plato 
• Plato’s Symposium translated by Jowett 
• The Republic by Plato translated by Bloom (sections on the soul) 

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, a beloved children’s classic that also raises profound questions about friendship, loyalty, and home. They reflect on the gentle affection between Mole and Rat, the comic recklessness of Toad, and the novel’s vision of rural England as a space of beauty and belonging. Along the way, they connect Grahame’s tale with other literary traditions, from Homer’s Odyssey to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, considering why friendship across differences remains so vital in literature and life.

Episode Outline

• Opening reflections: Kenneth Grahame’s life and the creation of The Wind in the Willows
• The friendship of Mole and Rat: loyalty, gentleness, and affection (storge + philia)
• The character of Toad: comic energy, recklessness, and the limits of friendship
• The pastoral setting: home, hospitality, and the idealized English countryside
• The novel as both children’s tale and adult meditation on loss and belonging
• Connections to the epic tradition: from Homer’s Odyssey to Virgil and beyond
• Parallels with other classics of children’s literature: Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and George MacDonald’s fairy tales
• Closing thoughts: why The Wind in the Willows endures as a story of affection and friendship

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship Across Difference: Mole, Rat, and Toad represent different temperaments, yet their bonds show how affection (storge) and loyalty (philia) transcend differences.
• The Beauty of Home and Place: Grahame’s pastoral vision of the riverbank reflects the restorative power of home, stability, and natural beauty.
• Comic Folly and Limits of Friendship: Toad’s antics highlight both the burdens and the joys of friendship, reminding us that loyalty is tested by folly.
• Children’s Story or Adult Meditation?: While beloved by children, the novel also speaks deeply to adult readers about nostalgia, belonging, and mortality.
• A Link in the Classical Tradition: Echoes of Homer and Virgil remind us that even children’s literature participates in the great tradition of stories about journey, home, and friendship.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Mole and Rat’s friendship so enduring?
  Reflect on how affection and loyalty create stability in a world of uncertainty.
• How do Toad’s reckless actions test the limits of friendship?
  Consider whether real friendship requires patience, forgiveness, and boundaries.
• What role does home and place play in The Wind in the Willows?
  Discuss how Grahame’s pastoral vision speaks to our modern longing for belonging.
• Is this more of a children’s story or a story for adults?
  Think about the ways nostalgia and mortality resonate differently with child and adult readers.
• How does Grahame’s work echo the epic tradition?
  Compare moments in The Wind in the Willows with Homer’s Odyssey or Virgil’s Aeneid as stories of journey and homecoming.

Suggested Reading

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Fairy tales and stories by George MacDonald

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim and Emily explore Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, asking whether a man and a child can truly be friends. They unpack the novel’s uneven yet profound legacy, including its powerful portrayal of Huck and Jim’s unlikely bond, its place in the tradition of banned books, and its lasting influence on American literature. Along the way, they compare Twain’s work with Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dostoevsky, Faulkner, Hemingway, and even American tall tales—highlighting how Twain’s use of dialect and moral pragmatism reshaped the novel as a form.

Episode Outline

• Opening discussion: Huck Finn’s place among banned books and why Louisa May Alcott opposed it
• Mark Twain as humorist, critic of society, and reluctant moralist
• Background on Huckleberry Finn as a sequel to Tom Sawyer and its uneven yet profound reputation
• Huck’s escape from abuse and his meeting with Jim, forming the heart of the story
• The raft as a space of freedom, trust, and moral testing
• Twain’s use of dialect and vernacular speech, reshaping the American novel
• The tension between Huck’s pragmatism and the moral ideals of his society
• The central friendship between Huck and Jim: affection, sacrifice, and equality across boundaries
• Critics and comparisons: T.S. Eliot, Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dostoevsky, Faulkner, Hemingway, and others
• Closing reflections on Huck’s decision to “light out for the territory” and the novel’s enduring claim as the Great American Novel

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship Across Boundaries: Huck and Jim’s relationship challenges racial and social hierarchies, showing that true friendship can form in defiance of unjust conventions.
• Moral Awakening on the River: Huck’s decision to protect Jim, even at the cost of “going to hell,” marks a profound step in his moral development.
• The Raft as Sanctuary: Life on the raft symbolizes equality, trust, and affection, a fragile refuge from the hypocrisy and cruelty of society on shore.
• The Power of Vernacular: Twain’s use of Huck’s voice and dialect reshaped American literature, capturing authenticity and exposing social pretenses.
• The Problem of the Ending: Twain unsettles readers with Tom Sawyer’s reappearance, raising questions about whether the novel affirms or undercuts Huck and Jim’s hard-won friendship.

Questions & Discussion

• What makes Huck and Jim’s friendship so radical for its time?
  Reflect on how their bond defies racial and social hierarchies, and whether Twain suggests friendship can transcend entrenched divisions.
• Can an adult and a child truly be friends?
  Consider Andrew Willard Jones’s idea that friends are “equally unequal.” Consider how this applies to Huck and Jim.
• How does Huck’s moral development unfold on the river?
  Consider how Huck’s decisions about Jim reveal his growth—and whether he truly escapes the prejudices of his upbringing.
• What role does satire play in Twain’s critique of society?
  Discuss how humor exposes hypocrisy in issues like slavery, religion, and “civilized” life.
• Does the ending of the novel strengthen or weaken its message?
  Examine whether the reintroduction of Tom Sawyer complicates or undermines Huck and Jim’s story of freedom and friendship.

Suggested Reading

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain   
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
• Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson 
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau 
• “Introduction to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1935 essay) by T.S. Eliot
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
• Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather 
• Port William novels (Jayber Crow, Hannah Coulter, Nathan Coulter, etc.) by Wendell Berry 

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh turn to Cicero’s On Friendship, a dialogue exploring what makes friendship possible, lasting, and good. They unpack Cicero’s conviction that friendship is only possible between those committed to virtue, and that true friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts—second only to wisdom. The hosts trace Cicero’s Roman context, his defense of republican ideals, and his enduring insights into the moral foundations of friendship.

Episode Outline 

• Opening quote from Cicero on the harmony of virtue in friendship
• Why Cicero remains a beloved figure in Western history
• Cicero’s role as statesman, writer, and defender of the Roman Republic
• Background on On Friendship as a dialogue between Laelius and Scipio
• Cicero’s definition of virtue as “ordinary excellence” rather than lofty ideals
• The claim that friendship can only exist among the good—what Cicero means by “the good”
• The distinction between acquaintances, comradeship, and true friendship
• Cicero’s famous images of friendship: “a second self” and “remove friendship from life and you remove the sun from the world”
• Reflections on Cicero’s legacy in light of the later Christian revolution of values
• Closing reflections on the timelessness of Cicero’s insights

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Virtue as the Ground of Friendship: Cicero insists that friendship requires moral integrity: honesty, courage, liberality, and freedom from greed, lust, or violence.
• Friendship vs. Acquaintance: Cicero distinguishes between true friendships based on virtue and other social bonds based on utility, association, or convenience.
• The Sweetness of Conversation: For Cicero, the “fruit of friendship” lies in the joy of conversation and the freedom to speak openly without bitterness.
• A Second Self: A true friend is like “a second self,” sharing life so deeply that one’s strength, wealth, and even life are experienced in common.
• Lasting Significance: Though Cicero’s republican world collapsed, his insights into virtue and friendship remain profound and enduring.

Questions & Discussion

• Why does Cicero argue that friendship is only possible among the good?
  Reflect on whether you agree. Discuss whether people lacking in moral integrity still form real friendships, or only temporary alliances.
• How does Cicero’s idea of virtue as “ordinary excellence” shape his vision of friendship?
  Consider whether friendship requires lofty ideals or simply consistent, everyday integrity.
• What is the difference between comradeship, acquaintanceship, and true friendship?
  Think of your own relationships and discuss which category each falls into. Discuss if this distinction changes how you use the word “friend”.
• What do you make of Cicero’s claim that “remove friendship from life and you remove the sun from the world”?
  Discuss whether friendship really is as essential as Cicero claims. Describe what life looks like without it.
• How should we value Cicero’s insights in light of Christianity’s later revolution in values?
  Explore whether Cicero’s pre-Christian view of friendship still holds truth for us, or whether Christianity’s vision of love changes the foundation of friendship.

Suggested Reading

• On Friendship by Cicero
• On Duties by Cicero
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• Christianity and Classical Culture by Charles Norris Cochrane 
• Dominion by Tom Holland 
• The Bible, Proverbs 18:24
• The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Sophus Helle 

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda journey into the world’s oldest surviving epic, The Epic of Gilgamesh. They explore how the story dramatizes philia, or friendship, through the bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu—a friendship that transforms a tyrant into a true man. From their first clash to their adventures slaying monsters, and finally to Enkidu’s death, the hosts unpack the role of friendship as a civilizing force, a mirror of ourselves, and a source of both joy and grief.

Episode Outline

• Introduction: Why start friendship with the world’s oldest epic?
• Background on The Epic of Gilgamesh and its Mesopotamian context
• Gilgamesh the tyrant and the gods’ creation of Enkidu as his counterbalance
• The forging of friendship: wrestling, recognition, and solidarity
• Adventures together: the Cedar Forest and the slaying of Humbaba
• The grief of Enkidu’s death and Gilgamesh’s confrontation with mortality
• The search for immortality and the wisdom gained in failure
• Comparison to Achilles and Patroclus in Homer’s Iliad
• The theme of fame vs. wisdom: what endures in human memory?
• Closing reflections and preview of next episode

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Friendship as Humanizing Power: Gilgamesh’s tyranny is undone by friendship—his bond with Enkidu turns him from a destroyer into a true king.
• The Shared Quest: Their adventures dramatize the power of philia: shared labor, shared danger, and shared joy as the basis of community.
• Grief and Mortality: Enkidu’s death shatters Gilgamesh, revealing how friendship not only ennobles but also exposes us to profound loss.
• The Search for Immortality: The epic wrestles with what lasts: glory, monuments, or wisdom. In the end, Gilgamesh learns that human meaning lies in love and the endurance of community.
• Ancient Echoes in Later Literature: The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu prefigures later literary friendships like Achilles and Patroclus, David and Jonathan, and Sam and Frodo.

Questions & Discussion

• How does the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu transform the meaning of kingship?
  Consider how Gilgamesh changes after meeting Enkidu. Discuss what this says about friendship’s power to humanize authority.
• What does Enkidu’s death teach us about love and mortality?
  Reflect on how grief reveals both the cost and the depth of true friendship. Consider if love exists without vulnerability to loss.
• Why do ancient epics so often pair heroes with companions?
  Explore parallels with Achilles and Patroclus or David and Jonathan. Define what makes companionship central to heroism.
• What endures: fame, monuments, or wisdom?
  Discuss whether the pursuit of lasting glory or the acceptance of human limits offers a truer path to meaning.
• Is friendship a luxury or a necessity?
  Engage Tim’s hot take. Consider if a person can truly become human without philia.

Suggested Reading

• The Epic of Gilgamesh by Andrew George
• The Iliad by Homer translated by Emily Wilson: Achilles and Patroclus 
• The Bible: 1 Samuel (David and Jonathan’s friendship)
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis

Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh dive into John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, exploring how the novel wrestles with the tension between familial affection (storge), honesty, and moral responsibility. The hosts examine Steinbeck’s portrayal of family bonds marked by both tenderness and devastation, paying special attention to the complex relationships between parents, children, and siblings. Together, the hosts probe Steinbeck’s vision of love, inheritance, and choice.

Episode Outline

• Introduction and Steinbeck’s place in American literature
• The role of affection (storge) in East of Eden
• Family as both a haven and a crucible of pain
• Sibling rivalries: echoes of Cain and Abel
• The Trask family and inherited patterns of sin
• Cathy/Kate as a force of destruction and anti-storge
• The concept of timshel (“thou mayest”) as a message of human freedom and responsibility
• How affection, truth, and cruelty intertwine in Steinbeck’s moral vision
• Closing reflections on the legacy of East of Eden

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Storge in Steinbeck’s World: Steinbeck presents affection as essential to family life, but always precarious—capable of nurturing or corroding depending on whether it is tethered to truth.
• The Cain and Abel Pattern: The story mirrors the biblical narrative of Cain and Abel, showing how rivalry and jealousy warp affection within families.
• The Dark Counterpart: Cathy/Kate: Through Cathy/Kate, Steinbeck shows what happens when familial love is replaced with manipulation and malice, corrupting natural affection into something destructive.
• Timshel and Moral Agency: The novel insists that despite inherited patterns, humans retain freedom—“thou mayest”—to choose goodness over cruelty.

Questions & Discussion

• How does Steinbeck’s use of the Cain and Abel story shape our understanding of family rivalry in East of Eden?
  Reflect on how biblical archetypes deepen our reading of sibling conflict. Consider if these stories resonate with modern family struggles.
• What role does Cathy/Kate play as a foil to natural affection?
  Consider how her rejection of storge sharpens the novel’s exploration of love’s absence. Decide if she is purely a villain, or something more complex.
• What does Steinbeck mean by timshel—“thou mayest”?
  Discuss how this theme of choice reshapes our view of fate, family inheritance, and moral responsibility.
• Can affection stand alone without truth? Can truth stand alone without affection?
  Explore Tim’s hot take. Discuss examples in the novel—or in life—where sentimentality or cruelty distort what should have been true love.

Suggested Reading

• • East of Eden by John Steinbeck 
  • The Bible: Genesis 4 (Cain and Abel)
  • The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis