Hot Takes on the Classics

• Episode 15: Anna Karenina: The Marriage Plot

  DescriptionIn 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 vitalityThe “marriage plot” tradition in European fiction and why Tolstoy expands it beyond romance into questions of faith and purposeThe woman question, the man question, and changing gender roles in industrial societyLevin as Tolstoy’s alter ego: spiritual seeker, social reformer, and bumbling idealistThe pentagon of love: Oblonsky, Anna, Vronsky, Kitty, and LevinThe ball scene and its double vision—social spectacle and emotional catastropheVronsky and Anna’s affair: passion, honor, and the collapse of moral coherenceDolly and Oblonsky’s broken marriage as foreshadowingLevin and Kitty: humility, healing, and the hard work of real marriageAnna’s growing isolation and societal exile—Tolstoy’s critique of hypocrisyThe double standard between men and women in sin and punishmentLevin’s moment of transcendence while mowing—finding joy in work, nature, and graceThe legacy of Tolstoy’s two marriages: tragedy redeemed through meaningReflections on translation and reading Russian literature in English (Constance Garnett’s legacy)Key Topics & TakeawaysTwo 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 & DiscussionWhat 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 & ViewingAnna 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 GarnettA Doll’s House by Henrik IbsenThe Marriage Plot by Jeffrey EugenidesThe Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily WilsonThe Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

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• Episode 14: The Making of a Great Marriage: Pride and Prejudice

  DescriptionIn 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 OutlineOpening reading from Pride and Prejudice and introduction of Austen’s worldWhy Pride and Prejudice stands as the quintessential romantic comedyEmily’s long love affair with the novel—and Tim’s early indifferenceThe Bennet family and its five daughters: economic pressures and social maneuveringMr. and Mrs. Bennet: the comic and cautionary marriage at the novel’s heartFirst impressions: Elizabeth’s wit, Darcy’s pride, and the spark of tensionThe dance scenes as metaphors for social order and romantic pursuitMr. Collins, Charlotte Lucas, and the pragmatism of marriage as securityElizabeth’s refusal of Collins and Darcy’s disastrous first proposalThe letter that transforms Elizabeth’s understanding—mutual humility and growthLydia’s scandal and Darcy’s hidden act of restitutionThe resolution: love grounded in respect and equalityComparing good and bad marriages in the novel (Bennet, Lucas, Gardiner, Darcy)How Austen blends irony, moral seriousness, and humorClosing reflections on enduring appeal and cultural adaptations (BBC, film, etc.)Key Topics & TakeawaysThe 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 & DiscussionWhat 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 & ViewingPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility by Jane AustenMuch 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.

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• Episode 13: Romeo and Juliet: The Wisdom of Young Love

  DescriptionIn 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 OutlineOpening lines and why Romeo and Juliet may be Shakespeare’s most universally known storyRomeo 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 languageJuliet’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 planTomb scene and the play’s resolution: private tragedy, public reconciliationComparing tragic models: character-flaw punishment vs. fated misrecognition; who is truly “punished”?Cultural echoes and adaptations: West Side Story; the 1996 Baz Luhrmann filmClosing: why the reconciliation scene matters—and why this grief enduresKey Topics & TakeawaysFrom 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 & DiscussionIs 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 & ViewingRomeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare As You Like It by William ShakespeareMacbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth Antigone by Sophocles  Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily WilsonThe 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.

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• Episode 12: The Divine Comedy: Disordered Eros

  DescriptionIn 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 OutlineOpening reflections on Dante’s life, exile, and literary ambitionThe structure of Inferno, Purgatorio, and ParadisoFrancesca and Paolo: the tragic allure of adulterous love in InfernoThe fire of purification in Purgatorio: eros redirected toward the divineBeatrice as guide: eros elevated into spiritual visionDante’s theological synthesis of classical and Christian thoughtHow love, in all its forms, orders the soul and the cosmosClosing reflections: why Dante’s vision of ordered and disordered eros enduresKey Topics & Takeaways Questions & DiscussionEros 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 ReadingHow 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 ReadingThe Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri translated by Allen Mandelbaum The Aeneid by Virgil The Bible (Genesis, Psalms, Revelation – scriptural echoes in Dante’s imagery)

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• Episode 11: The Phaedras: Love is a Madness

  DescriptionIn 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 OutlineOpening reflection on love as “divine madness”Why Plato’s Phaedrus stands apart in the dialoguesSocrates’ first speech: love as destructive passionSocrates’ second speech: love as divine inspirationThe myth of the charioteer: the soul’s struggle between reason and desirePlato on rhetoric: persuasion as both dangerous and necessaryThe link between love, truth, and the soul’s ascentComparisons with Symposium and other Platonic dialoguesClosing reflections on Phaedrus as a work about love, language, and longingKey Topics & TakeawaysLove 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 & DiscussionWhat 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 ReadingPhaedrus by Plato Plato’s Symposium translated by Jowett The Republic by Plato translated by Bloom (sections on the soul) 

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