01 / recommendation
Likes Samuel Johnson.
“I love Samuel Johnson, and one reason is that he can write a sermon, a legal opinion, an advert—almost anything you want.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with Tyler / episode intelligence
Henry Oliver on Measure for Measure, Late Bloomers, and the Smartest Writers in English
Speakers in the public record
Claim mix
belief 14evaluation 6commitment 3disagreement 2preference 2recommendation 1uncertainty 1prediction 1
Evidence policy
Every row below preserves an exact excerpt. Identified speakers are linked; unresolved voices are labeled and excluded from people counts.
Claim ledger
The useful parts, with receipts.
30 published records
02 / belief
I don’t think Shakespeare, at this point, is using “prayed” and “kneeled” to mean anything other than what is literally being said. I think she is an image of virtue.
“I don’t think Shakespeare, at this point, is using “prayed” and “kneeled” to mean anything other than what is literally being said. I think she is an image of virtue.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
03 / disagreement
You can reference me specifically just to give this some bite. We disagree about something in Swift or Shakespeare or Jane Austen.
“You can reference me specifically just to give this some bite. We disagree about something in Swift or Shakespeare or Jane Austen.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
04 / belief
I think that with Spenser are the two most underrated great works, if I had to say.
“I think that with Spenser are the two most underrated great works, if I had to say.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
05 / belief
Not that I’m aware of, but I haven’t yet seen the BBC version from the ’80s, and they are often quite good. I believe Helen Mirren is in that version of Measure for Measure.
“Not that I’m aware of, but I haven’t yet seen the BBC version from the ’80s, and they are often quite good. I believe Helen Mirren is in that version of Measure for Measure.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
06 / belief
” I think a lot of people want a real answer to the question, not that kind of thing.
“” I think a lot of people want a real answer to the question, not that kind of thing.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
07 / belief
I think a lot of people in Washington would find it instructive and amusing to read that novel, and it’s quite short.
“I think a lot of people in Washington would find it instructive and amusing to read that novel, and it’s quite short.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
08 / belief
I haven’t read enough of her books to make a good judgment, but if we accept that Atlas Shrugged is singular, then yes, she’s a late bloomer. I think that’s an extraordinarily good novel.
“I haven’t read enough of her books to make a good judgment, but if we accept that Atlas Shrugged is singular, then yes, she’s a late bloomer. I think that’s an extraordinarily good novel.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
09 / belief
I think that’s much to her credit because she is so distinguished as very much her own writer and her own sort of thinker.
“I think that’s much to her credit because she is so distinguished as very much her own writer and her own sort of thinker.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
10 / belief
I think he can deal with a practical question to do with coinage, to do with government, to do with composition of politics, to do with the conduct of a war or something in both a fictional and a nonfictional manner.
“I think he can deal with a practical question to do with coinage, to do with government, to do with composition of politics, to do with the conduct of a war or something in both a fictional and a nonfictional manner.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
11 / belief
The third thing, Tyler, is that some readers want to find more controversial readings than others. I suspect you might be like that.
“The third thing, Tyler, is that some readers want to find more controversial readings than others. I suspect you might be like that.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
12 / uncertainty
A lot of the 20th-century stuff that I’ve tried to read, I have not got very far with, and I don’t know whether that’s because my temperament is wrong or whether they’re overrated.
“A lot of the 20th-century stuff that I’ve tried to read, I have not got very far with, and I don’t know whether that’s because my temperament is wrong or whether they’re overrated.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
13 / belief
I think if you’re a wealthy country with a lot of people and you dominate academia, many of your writers will end up overrated.
“I think if you’re a wealthy country with a lot of people and you dominate academia, many of your writers will end up overrated.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
14 / belief
I think that’s one way to read the play, that it’s, if not anti-Christian, highly skeptical about Christianity.
“I think that’s one way to read the play, that it’s, if not anti-Christian, highly skeptical about Christianity.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
15 / evaluation
Going into a corrupt nunnery, submitting to Angelo, possibly dying, or marrying the Duke. Shakespeare’s saying that this is the best we can hope for her.
“Going into a corrupt nunnery, submitting to Angelo, possibly dying, or marrying the Duke. Shakespeare’s saying that this is the best we can hope for her.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
16 / commitment
Now, the premise of this episode is, we’re going to discuss Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. That’s not the only thing we’ll do, but that is what we will start with.
“Now, the premise of this episode is, we’re going to discuss Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. That’s not the only thing we’ll do, but that is what we will start with.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
17 / belief
You do a little bit of the hard sell, a little bit of the image. I think everyone knows that that’s what works, but they want to be cool.
“You do a little bit of the hard sell, a little bit of the image. I think everyone knows that that’s what works, but they want to be cool.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
18 / belief
I worked in a school a long time ago, and I think I was told the way to deal with boys is fun, firm, and fair.
“I worked in a school a long time ago, and I think I was told the way to deal with boys is fun, firm, and fair.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
19 / belief
I am like that. I think a lot of the differences in readings come from temperament.
“I am like that. I think a lot of the differences in readings come from temperament.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
20 / commitment
I will say properly rated by the fans and underrated by the highbrows who dismiss it or the ones who haven’t read it, which is, some of them who dismiss it have not read it.
“I will say properly rated by the fans and underrated by the highbrows who dismiss it or the ones who haven’t read it, which is, some of them who dismiss it have not read it.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
21 / evaluation
One of them is the execution of just judgment by which all must be measured. So, I think Shakespeare is taking up a theme that is current at court and which we know James is interested in: how to deal with religious tension, how to deal with sexual behavior south of the river.
“One of them is the execution of just judgment by which all must be measured. So, I think Shakespeare is taking up a theme that is current at court and which we know James is interested in: how to deal with religious tension, how to deal with sexual behavior south of the river.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
22 / preference
Now, let me give you my third and least literal reading, which I’m not convinced was ever in the mind of Shakespeare—not necessarily his intent, but it’s the one I like best, and it’s what makes the play, for me, genius.
“Now, let me give you my third and least literal reading, which I’m not convinced was ever in the mind of Shakespeare—not necessarily his intent, but it’s the one I like best, and it’s what makes the play, for me, genius.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
23 / disagreement
I don’t entirely agree, but I agree a lot more than some other people might. Shakespeare did write to be read.
“I don’t entirely agree, but I agree a lot more than some other people might. Shakespeare did write to be read.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
24 / prediction
Or does it mean that, without her knowing, without her having any awareness of it, her presence will inflame Angelo into taking her side? I think you’d be interested in this as an economist, Tyler.
“Or does it mean that, without her knowing, without her having any awareness of it, her presence will inflame Angelo into taking her side? I think you’d be interested in this as an economist, Tyler.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
25 / evaluation
I would get a small selection of the poetry because you’ll see just how vicious and sharp and wicked he can be and how much he enjoys berating prostitutes.
“I would get a small selection of the poetry because you’ll see just how vicious and sharp and wicked he can be and how much he enjoys berating prostitutes.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
26 / evaluation
We don’t know how well advertising works, and we’re still impeded in that because of the laws about who you can and cannot target on the internet.
“We don’t know how well advertising works, and we’re still impeded in that because of the laws about who you can and cannot target on the internet.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
27 / evaluation
Surprisingly, for such a liberal-minded person, he endorses Richardson and says Richardson is a good novelist to read to learn morals.
“Surprisingly, for such a liberal-minded person, he endorses Richardson and says Richardson is a good novelist to read to learn morals.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
28 / commitment
When Hollis recommended it, I thought, “Okay, this is a totally different kind of recommendation, so I will definitely take this.
“When Hollis recommended it, I thought, “Okay, this is a totally different kind of recommendation, so I will definitely take this.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
29 / evaluation
There’s a lot of other coinage imagery, and the relationship between the idea of stamping a coin as a metaphor for procreation, and the importance of demographics to sustaining the economy is, I think, quite well established.
“There’s a lot of other coinage imagery, and the relationship between the idea of stamping a coin as a metaphor for procreation, and the importance of demographics to sustaining the economy is, I think, quite well established.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
30 / preference
It’s often not so easy to follow the arguments if they’re delivered in the rapid clip that Shakespearean acting would rely on. I think a lot of people want a happier story than this.
“It’s often not so easy to follow the arguments if they’re delivered in the rapid clip that Shakespearean acting would rely on. I think a lot of people want a happier story than this.”
- Speaker
- Henry Oliver
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler