book 8 summary

The Odyssey

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• St. Augustine's Confessions

St. Augustine

• Literature Notes
• Chapters 5-12
• Book Summary
• About St. Augustine's Confessions
• Summary and Analysis
• Book 1: Chapters 1-5
• Book 1: Chapters 6-7
• Book 1: Chapters 8-11
• Book 1: Chapters 12-20
• Book 2: Chapters 1-3
• Book 2: Chapters 4-10
• Book 3: Chapters 1-5
• Book 3: Chapters 6-12
• Book 4: Chapters 1-3
• Book 4: Chapters 4-13
• Book 4: Chapters 13-16
• Book 5: Chapters 1-7
• Book 5: Chapters 8-14
• Book 6: Chapters 1-10
• Book 6: Chapters 7-16
• Book 7: Chapters 1-21
• Book 8: Chapters 1-4
• Book 8: Chapters 5-12
• Book 9: Chapters 1-7
• Book 9: Chapters 8-13
• Book 10: Chapters 1-25
• Book 10: Chapters 26-34
• Book 11: Chapters 1-31
• Book 12: Chapters 1-31
• Book 13: Chapters 1-38
• St. Augustine Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Confessions and Autobiography
• Augustine's View of Sexuality
• Women in the Confessions
• Full Glossary for St. Augustine's Confessions
• Essay Questions
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• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis Book 8: Chapters 5-12

Augustine is moved by the story of Victorinus, but his old life has become a habit he cannot break. He is deeply distressed, therefore, that he cannot leave his old life now that he no longer has any doubts about Christianity. Augustine and Alypius are visited by Ponticianus, who tells them about St. Antony. Ponticianus then tells them about two of his friends who were inspired to dedicate their lives to Christ after reading the story of St. Antony. Augustine is overcome with shame at his inability to follow their example. Extremely agitated, Augustine retreats to the garden of their house. His will is divided, but Augustine observes that both contrary wills were his own, not a good will and a bad will, as the Manichees believe. Augustine breaks down in tears beneath a fig tree. He hears a voice saying, "Take and read." Interpreting this as a message from God, he picks up his copy of the letters of St. Paul and reads a passage that puts his mind at rest. He resolves to dedicate his entire life to God, and Alypius joins him in this resolve.

Augustine's final conversion at the end of Book 8 is the most famous episode from the Confessions. In a moment of intense emotional crisis, Augustine hears a mysterious child's voice chanting, "Take and read, take and read." When he does so, he encounters Romans 13:13-14, and the passage abruptly lays to rest all his doubts and fears about leaving his old life behind. In a way, it is almost a fairy-tale ending: Augustine has been desperately looking for certainty his entire spiritual life, and here, in one moment of clarity, he gets the relief that only absolute certainty can give him. Intellectually, he has been prepared for this moment for some time, and emotionally, he has been in a state of steadily growing anxiety. The "take and read" episode is the catalyst for decisive change in Augustine's life. (Incidentally, readers puzzled by Augustine's insistence on a life of complete continence need only look at the other examples in this chapter and Chapter 9 for a cultural context: The fiancées of two converted men immediately join them in dedicating their virginity to God; Verecundus is disappointed that he cannot withdraw from the world because he is married; and Alypius shows his self-denial by walking around barefoot all winter.)

The conversion episode is foreshadowed in Book 8 by two stories that mirror Augustine's experience. The story of Victorinus, the converted rhetor, appears in the first part of Book 8, although you are not certain from Augustine's description how much time separates his hearing of that story from his conversion experience. The second story, the one about Ponticianus' friends, immediately precedes the conversion episode. A third story, that of St. Antony of the Desert, provides the backdrop for the conversion of Ponticianus' friend and of Augustine, although Augustine does not supply the details for his readers. In a culture that valued asceticism, Antony was an exemplary model of self-denial. After reading Christ's exhortation to "sell all you have" in Matthew 19:21, Antony sold all of his family's estate, gave the proceeds to the poor, and retired to the desert as a hermit, eating little and praying constantly. God allowed Satan to tempt Antony in several visions, but Antony withstood all temptations. Antony's example of personal purity and withdrawal from the world has obvious connections to Augustine's situation. Furthermore, both Antony and Ponticianus' unnamed friends are moved to give up the world after reading a crucial passage, just as Augustine finally is. Echoes of Book 6, with its themes of giving up bad habits after hearing pertinent advice from a wise friend, are also apparent, both here and in the story of Victorinus, who was moved to convert publicly on the advice of Simplicianus. Habit is the force that ties Augustine to his worldly life of sins, even when he wants to try to leave it, and Augustine specifically associates this force of habit with the idea of original sin, inherited from Adam.

Biblical echoes also inform Augustine's description. Along with the parallels between this scene of Augustine's grief beneath the fig tree and his theft from the pear tree in Book 3, both of these have connections to the story of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. One Christian tradition held that a fig tree, rather than an apple, was the tree from which Adam and Eve ate, and the fact that they used fig leaves to cover their nakedness after the Fall contributed to making the fig a symbol of carnal lust. The fig tree has further echoes in the New Testament, where it has special significance as a symbol of faith without acts. Christ tells the parable of the fig tree that does not bear fruit and so is cut down and burned (Luke 13:6-9), and Christ curses the fig tree that has leaves but no fruit (Matthew 21:19). Finally, Christ calls his disciple Nathaniel from under the fig tree (John 3:48-50). Augustine's intense physical and emotional distress in his garden also recalls Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45), which precedes his crucifixion.

From a narrative standpoint, Augustine saps some of the drama from his conversion narrative by inserting a long digression about the Manichees immediately prior the "take and read" event. Augustine is in the garden, in a state of intense physical and mental agitation, and then the garden seems to disappear as Augustine launches into an analysis of his divided will, taking the opportunity to point out errors of Manichee doctrine along the way. However, his discussion is relevant because it concerns the relationship between sin and the human will, introduced in Book 7. When Augustine reminds readers several paragraphs later that he is still in the garden, the transition is jarring.

Augustine also inserts into this section the appearance of Lady Continence. Some critics have insisted that Augustine is reporting an actual vision of the beautiful lady who beckons to him, but Augustine is simply using the literary device of personification. He amusingly represents his sins as annoying pests that hold him back and whisper doubts into his ears, while serene Continence and her followers encourage him onward to his new life.

With all of these symbolic, literary, and biblical connections, many modern readers have asked: Is Augustine's account of his conversion literally true? In some ways, this is not an entirely relevant question. Augustine presents the event through the lens of memory, accumulated experience, and literary art. If his account is stylized or laden with symbolic associations, it does not necessarily make it less true in a spiritual sense. Autobiography always presents the author's life events in hindsight, in the way that the author has come to understand them and wants the reader to interpret them. Under such circumstances, literal truth is no longer at issue.

Previous Chapters 1-4

Next Chapters 1-7

Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

By aristotle, aristotle: nicomachean ethics summary and analysis of book eight.

Friendship is a virtue or at least involves virtue. It is necessary to life, since no one would choose to live without friends even if he had all other material goods. Friends are a refuge in times of poverty and misfortune, they help to guard the young from error, they help the old in their weakness, and help those in the prime of life to perform noble actions. Parents have a natural friendship with their children, and to a certain degree those of the same race do as well. Friendship unites the state. When men are friends, there is no need of justice, but when even if men are just, friendship is still necessary. Friendship is not just necessary, but also noble.

Can friendship be formed between any two people? Can evil men be friends? Is there only one kind of friendship? In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to see what makes something likeable. The three possibilities are goodness, pleasure and usefulness. To be friends, two people need to be well-disposed toward one another and wish each other's good, and they must know that this is the case.

There are three reasons for friendship, just as there are three reasons for liking something: usefulness, pleasure, or goodness. In friendship based on usefulness or pleasure, the person is not liked in himself but because of the good or pleasure he can provide. Such friendships are easily dissolved.

Perfect friendship exists between good men who are alike in their virtuousness. Wishing a friend good for his own sake is the highest degree of friendship. These friendships tend to be longlasting because virtue is something stable. Because both friends are good their friendship is both beneficial and pleasant as well, and thus they unite all the three reasons for friendship. Such friendships are rare because few people have the capability for this sort of friendship and they require time and familiarity to form.

Friendships based on pleasure can vary in their duration. With regard to lovers, the friendship often fades away after the prime of youth is gone since the sight of the beloved no longer brings pleasure. Yet if the lovers are alike in character the friendship may last much longer. Love-affairs based in what is useful are even less-enduring than those based on pleasure. Only the friendship of good men is not harmed by slander. True friendship is that between good men just because they are good; all other friendships are only called friendship by analogy.

Bad men are friends either for the sake of pleasure or usefulness, while good men are friends for the sake of each other, and they are friends without qualification. Distance does not break a friendship but impedes its exercise. For real friendship, however, living near each is important.

Friendship in the highest degree is that between good men. Friendship is not a feeling, but a disposition, because it requires intention. Young men become friends much more quickly and easily than older men, although the latter may still be well-disposed toward others. It is impossible to have a perfect friendship with many people, because such a friendship takes a long time to build and requires a lot of time to maintain. But one may have many friends on the basis of usefulness or pleasure. Friendship based on pleasure is higher than that based on usefulness.

Another kind of friendship is that in which one of the parties is superior, such as the friendship between a parent and a child. In these relationships the two friends give and receive different things and also have different types of affection toward each other.

Equality according to justice and equality according to friendship are different. In justice equality is primarily according to merit, but in friendship it is primarily according to quantity‹that is, the more unequal two people with regard to wealth, virtue, status, etc., the more unlikely it will be for a friendship to develop. Because most people wish to be liked more than to like, most people like flatterers, who are friends in an inferior position. Being liked by someone is akin to being honored by him. People like to be honored by good men in order to assure their own good opinion of themselves. However, people enjoy being liked not for the sake of something else but for its own sake. Friendship also seems to be chosen for its own sake, but it seems to depend more on liking than on being liked, as in the case of a mother's love for a child in spite of the child's response.

Section 10:

Friendship depends more on loving than on being loved. Thus loving is the virtue of a friend. It is those who have this disposition to love according to merit who are enduring friends. This disposition is also that which allows unequals to be friends, for through this disposition they can be equalized. Good men neither err nor allow their friends to err. Wicked men tend to have short friendships based on enjoying each other's evil habits. Friendships based on usefulness or pleasure last only as long as the relationship is useful or pleasant. Friendships based on useful usually arise between those of contrary needs.

Section 11:

Both friendship and justice seem to be concerned with the same things and the same people, and every association involves a mix of justice and friendship. The degree of injustice of a harm done to another depends on the degree of friendship that exists between the two people. Political associations are formed for the sake of the expedient, and all other associations are a subdivision of this. The kinds of friendship that exists among those in the association corresponds to the type of association.

Section 12:

There are three forms of government and their corresponding deviations. The three good forms of government in order from best to least good are kingship, aristocracy and timocracy (or democracy), and the three deviations are, respectively, tyranny, oligarchy and mob rule. Of the three deviations, tyranny is the worst, and mob rule is the least evil. Kingship is somewhat like a father's rule of a family. Tyranny is like the rule of master over his slaves. In aristocracy people rule based on merit, in timocracy they rule based on honor, and in oligarchy they rule based on wealth.

Section 13:

Friendship in each form of government exists to the extent that justice exists. A king is a friend to his subjects because he wishes to make them good. In aristocracy the friendship is by virtue of a relationship of superiority based on merit, and in timocracy there is friendship based on equality. There is little friendship in the deviant forms of government. Of the three corrupt forms of government, friendship is mostly likely to arise under mob rule.

Section 14:

Parents love their children as they love themselves, and children love their parents because their being comes from them. Siblings love each because they were born of the same parents. The friendship of siblings and kinsmen is like that of comrades. Friendship between parents and children involves much more pleasure and usefulness than other friendships because of their life in common. Friendship between a husband and wife exists by nature for men and women tend to form couples by nature for the sake of reproduction and for supplying each other's needs. Children tend to keep a marriage together, because they are a good common to both spouses.

Section 15:

Those who are friends by virtue of equality should be equally disposed in their love for one another and those whose friendship is by virtue of superiority should love each other in different ways according to their position. Quarrels occur most of all in friendships based on usefulness because each is only using the other for his own benefit, but in friendships based on virtue quarrels are rare because the friends are eager to treat each other well. Friendships based on usefulness can be ethical or legal. Legal friendships are formed based on specified forms of exchange, while ethical ones do not have specified terms by reciprocity in giving is expected. A person should not receive a service in this kind of friendship unless he is able to repay it. In friendships based on virtue quarrels over who receives more do not arise because intention is the measure.

Section 16:

In friendships based on superiority quarrels often arise because the person who is superior thinks he should receive more by virtue of his superiority and the one who is inferior thinks he should receive more because of his greater need. The claim of each person is correct, and it is possible to fulfill both claims because the superior should receive more honor and the needy should receive more material gain. Thus in associations of unequals the party who is benefitted should repay the superior party with honor, because it is impossible to give an equal amount in return. This is especially true in the cases of honors paid to parents or to the gods.

This chapter is the first of two chapters on the nature and purpose of friendship. An in-depth analysis of Aristotle 's view of friendship will consequently be provided at the end of the next chapter. For now, the analysis will cover the points in this chapter which are not directly connected with those discussed in the next chapter.

Aristotle classifies friendships into three different types according to the basis of the relationship. The first is friendship based on usefulness. In speaking of this sort of friendship, Aristotle seems to have in mind primarily a sort of business or commercial relationship. It is the lowest of the three types of friendship and is the least enduring. The friendship ends as soon as one of the two parties is no longer useful to the other or no longer has anything useful to offer. The second type of friendship is that based on pleasure. This friendship can have varying degrees of nobility and stability depending on the type of pleasure sought and the character of the friends. Still, the aim of the relationship is primarily selfish, and the relationship ends as soon as it stops producing pleasure for one of the friends. It is possible for wicked men to have these first two types of friendship. The only genuine, friendship, however, is the friendship of good men, which is based on virtue. In this type of friendship, the each friend wishes the genuine good for the other helps the other in the attainment of that good. This type of friendship is stable and is not easily broken, since the basis of the friendship‹a shared desire for what is genuinely good‹is a perfectly stable one.

The relationship between friendship and justice is quite intriguing. For even though justice is, in the broad sense, the fullness and unity of all the virtues, friendship goes beyond justice. Where there is friendship, justice is not necessary. Yet where there is justice friendship is still necessary. This relationship could perhaps be explained by the previously mentioned point that a genuine friendship presupposes that the people involved are already just men. Yet friendship can provides things which mere justice cannot. While friendship is reciprocal, the principal virtue of a friend is to love rather than to be loved. While justice requires a strict reciprocity according to merit, friendship can exist in an unequal relationship because the inequality is in some way bridged by the love of the friends.

A further relationship between friendship and justice comes to light in Aristotle's discussion the types of government. There are three good regimes, kingship, aristocracy, and timocracy. Their deviations are tyranny, oligarchy and mob rule, respectively. The more just the regime is, the more friendship there will be among the people of that regime. This idea again reinforces the point that justice is presupposed by friendship. Moreover, it provides insight into the idea developed in Aristotle's Politics that the city (that is, the Greek polis) exists not merely for the sake of survival but for the sake of living well. A just regime is one in which the laws lead the citizens be virtuous. Thus the groundwork is laid for genuine friendships, which are a necessity for a fulfilled human life.

Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Nicomachean Ethics

Since only voluntary actions can be considered virtuous, it is necessary to examine what it means for an action to be voluntary. An involuntary action is something done by force or through ignorance. An action done through fear or for the sake of...

For Aristotle, which of the following would NOT be an example of a human being performing its function or characteristic activity?

Paying attention in ethics lecture, and taking notes

How does Aristotle’s list of virtues and vices differ from our modern conceptions of vice and virtue? How might we determine which is better: Aristotle’s system or our own?

If you look at them closely they do not differ very much........ Gradesaver has an excellent summary and analysis of Aristotle's list. You can access it with the link provided below;

Study Guide for Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics study guide contains a biography of Aristotle, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics
• Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Summary
• Character List
• Book One Summary and Analysis
• Related Links

Essays for Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Aristotle's Ethics.

• Building from Happiness to Friendship
• Virtue in Aristotle's Ethics
• Courage and Aristotle's Doctrine of the Mean
• Self-Love: The Blueprint for Justice
• Aristotle's Critiques of Plato's Arguments

Lesson Plan for Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Introduction to Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Bibliography

E-Text of Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics e-text contains the full text of Aristotle's Ethics.

• Introduction

Wikipedia Entries for Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

• Three ethical treatises
• Aristotle as a Socratic
• Practical ethics
• Aristotle's starting point

Meditations

47 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

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Essay Topics

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Book 8 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 8 summary.

Marcus reflects that the “good life” can only be found by “doing what man’s nature requires,” which means “having principles to govern his impulses and actions” (76). The principles are good and evil themselves, the former being what makes a man “just, self-controlled, brave, and free” and the latter the opposite (76). To be fulfilled, all living organisms must follow the path set forth by their natures, whether plant, animal, or human. The former two have neither perception nor reason , but men, who are rational beings, do. Humans are related to their environment, to divine cause, and to their fellow men. God’s gift to man is the ability to remain one with the Whole. Unlike a body whose parts have been severed, a man who has felt himself cut off from the Whole can rejoin it.

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Shogun episode 8's seppuku & whether hiromatsu knew toranaga's secret plan clarified by creator.

Shogun co-creator Justin Marks discusses episode 8’s shocking seppuku scene and clarifies whether Hiromatsu knew Toranaga’s secret plan.

The following contains spoilers for Shogun episode 8

• Hiromatsu's seppuku was a selfless act to spare his fellow generals from the same fate, not necessarily a show of allegiance to Toranaga.
• Shogun co-creator Justin Marks says he doesn't think Hiromatsu knew the full extent of Toranaga's plan.
• The scene explores the complexities of loyalty, sacrifice, and deception in a historical context, adding layers to the characters' relationships.

A Shogun co-creator discusses episode 8’s shocking seppuku scene and whether Hiromatsu knew Toranaga’s secret plan. Seemingly intent on surrendering to Ishido in the wake of episode 7’s stunning developments, Toranaga in episode 8 gathers his generals together to sign their names and thereby, presumably, pledge to die beside him. The scene does not play out as Toranaga imagined, however, as his most trusted general, Hiromatsu, commits seppuku, providing Toranaga with the necessary evidence of his intent to surrender, and setting up the next step in Toranaga’s secret plan to trick Ishido into believing he is surrendering.

What isn’t made plain in this shocking Shogun episode 8 scene is whether Hiromatsu knew Toranaga’s plan to deceive Ishido, or sincerely believed that his lord meant to surrender, so Shogun co-creator Justin Marks addressed the matter, speaking to the show’s official podcast about Hiromatsu’s sacrifice and what it means. Check out his remarks below (around 6:40 of the video clip via FX Networks ):

I think there are many layers to look at this scene. Having really worked very closely with the two actors at the center of it and the director of this, I can speak to what was played. Takuma-san, who plays Hiromatsu, had a great idea for an adjustment that we made at the last minute for this scene-- --which is that these three generals who are coming into this, who are wearing armor as a demonstration of protest at a funeral, which is a very common historical phenomenon at that time, they're in this position where they're going make a stand. And Takuma-san wanted to play Hiromatsu's insertion of himself as a choice that he makes to spare their lives. Because if he could speak up to his lord and die in their place, then they won't have to commit seppuku. So he does it before they can do it as really a humane gesture to these three men who have served him as well as Toranaga all this time. Because of that, there's a great moment in the scene between Toranaga and Hiromatsu where Toranaga turns to Hiromatsu in shock because he did not intend for Hiromatsu to do this. And I don't think Hiromatsu knew that Toranaga wanted these generals to commit seppuku in order to show his enemies that he had surrendered and truly given up and that he has no hope, right. But in order for that narrative to be perfect, his most treasured general really has to do it. And that's something that I don't think even Toranaga wanted to do.

What’s Next For Toranaga After Hiromatsu And Nagakado’s Deaths

Confirmation arrives in Shogun episode 8 that Toranaga has been setting up an elaborate deception in which he means to fool Ishido and Ochiba into believing he’s surrendered, only to presumably spring a trap on them. As the next stage in this plan, Lady Mariko must go to Osaka and contiue playing her own mysterious role in Toranaga’s long game.

There’s reason for Shogun viewers to be very worried about Mariko, however, given the body count Toranaga’s plan has already rung up. In episode 7, Toranaga’s son Nagakado died in pathetic fashion while foolishly trying to attack his traitorous uncle Saeki. Episode 8 then saw Hiromatsu’s seppuku, an act of sacrifice that was not part of Toranaga’s plan, yet nonetheless serves his purpose.

Shogun is available to watch on FX and Hulu

Toranaga has demonstrated himself to be more-than-capable of manipulating those closest to him in order to achieve his ultimate goals, but with each move he loses more of the people he loves, making victory hardly seem worth the cost. It’s unlikely that Toranaga will stop now, however, as he tries to ensure that Hiromatsu and Nagakado did not die in vain. Toranaga’s persistence may, unfortunately, lead to more suffering in coming Shogun episodes for those who have become pawns in his game.

Source: FX Networks

Shogun is an FX original mini-series set in 17th Century Japan. Shogun follows John Blackthorne, who becomes a samurai warrior but is unknowingly a pawn in Yoshii Toranaga's plan to become Shogun. The series stars Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga, along with Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, and Yûki Kedôin.

'Shōgun' Episode 8 Recap: Two Can Keep a Secret If One Is Dead

Toranaga's surrender is delayed in the wake of personal tragedy, but does he have another plan up his sleeve?

Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Shōgun Episode 8.

The Big Picture

• Nagakado's death buys Toranaga much-needed time to implement his plan for surrender.
• Blackthorne's attempt to ally with Yabushige hits a roadblock, revealing his conflicting loyalties.
• Mariko's realization about her unhappy marriage culminates in a heartbreaking conversation with Buntaro.

With FX's epic series Shōgun heading towards its final set of episodes, one has the sense that the show isn't charging towards an action-packed finale but slowly building up to more and more devastation. That instinct only persists throughout the entirety of this week's installment, "Chapter Eight: The Abyss of Life," which not only clues us into more of what's going on in Lord Yoshii Toranaga's ( Hiroyuki Sanada ) head but also the losses that are required to ultimately secure victory. But has Toranaga actually gone too far in terms of allowing one of his most enduring allies to die at the end of a blade for him, or is this only the beginning of what we're in store for in the coming weeks? On the other, non-war planning side of the story, pilot-turned-hatamoto John Blackthorne ( Cosmo Jarvis ) initiates an alliance with one of the last people we ever expected, while Mariko ( Anna Sawai ) reaches a point of realization — and acceptance — regarding her unhappy marriage to Buntaro ( Shinnosuke Abe ).

Shogun (2024)

When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.

Nagakado's Death Delays the Inevitable in 'Shōgun' Episode 8

Although Toranaga has already pledged himself to surrender to his half-brother Saeki ( Eita Okuno ), the death of his son, Nagakado ( Yuki Kura ), in the previous episode delivers the respite he needs. It's fortunate timing, too, that Toranaga has been afforded the customary 49 days to properly mourn before having to turn himself over, because the lord of the Kantō isn't looking so hot. Whether because of the pace the funeral party is forced to set in traveling to the city of Edo or any other stresses Toranaga is understandably going through at the moment, he's dealing with a rather troublesome and persistent cough — the type that usually signals characters are about to be knocking on death's door. It wouldn't be beyond the pale to suggest that Toranaga could be faking illness to make himself look as small and helpless as possible, and therefore even less of a threat, but it does offer a convenient excuse for him to be conspicuously absent from his own son's funeral.

Said absence doesn't go unnoticed by Toranaga's most loyal general up until this point, Hiromatsu ( Tokuma Nishioka ), who also observes to Yabushige ( Tadanobu Asano ) that several of the lord's supporters are wearing their armor to the funeral in clear protest of Toranaga's decision to surrender. Dissent is certainly being sown within the ranks , but when Hiromatsu later participates in a private audience with the lord, alongside Mariko and Father Martin ( Tommy Bastow ), Toranaga doubles down on his word , looking every ounce the defeated leader we never hoped he'd become. It doesn't help that, after being dismissed, Hiromatsu decides to inform the other vassals waiting outside that Toranaga clearly has no intention of surrendering, insistent that his lord will fight and seemingly refusing to accept any other outcome.

Although Toranaga appears to be at his lowest, he still finds an amusing way of getting one over on Father Martin and the Catholics . Remember when he promised several acres of land in Edo to the madam Gin ( Yuko Miyamoto ) to build an entire district of teahouses? Well, canny viewers will also recall that Toranaga committed to allowing a Catholic church to be built in the same city earlier in the season; he just didn't specify where said church would be planted. Turns out it's going to be right next door to the teahouses, much to Martin's chagrin. I'm not necessarily convinced we'll see the fruits of Toranaga's scheme take full shape here with so few episodes remaining, but it's still a hilarious image to consider in terms of what the new face of Edo will look like as these new neighbors start to settle in together. (Courtesans and priests living together, mass hysteria!)

Blackthorne and Mariko Are Even More Adrift in 'Shōgun' Episode 8

After his disgusted declaration last week that Toranaga's plan has only amounted to "Crimson fucking horseshit," Blackthorne has all but returned to looking out for number one — and that means allying himself with someone who can help him achieve what he really wants . The Anjin 's dynamic with Yabushige has always been refreshingly honest on its face, especially because the two recognize the truth in each other and don't hesitate to tell it like it is. With Blackthorne's increased understanding of Japanese and Yabushige's impressive patience in teaching him new words, they're even one step closer to having a full conversation. Yet when Blackthorne attempts a sitdown with Yabushige and offers to sail under his banner, instead of Toranaga's, the lord of Izu outwardly bristles at the suggestion. To partner with Blackthorne in that way would be considered an affront, especially when Yabushige also believes Toranaga isn't close to giving up the fight. You can see the moment, though, when Yabushige seriously considers Blackthorne's idea, especially after the Anjin makes reference to one of their first defining encounters (in which Yabushige nearly died by drowning in his efforts to save another man).

It's almost impressive, the degree to which Blackthorne continues to try and find a way to get back to the Erasmus , yet when confronted with the possibility of reuniting with his crew, he realizes he's been more affected by his time in Japan than he thought . His conversation with Yabushige — translated through Mariko , of course — reveals that he initially "fooled [himself]" that he could make a life in this strange and beautiful country, but recent events have led him to believe that he needs to shape his own fate. Blackthorne is clearly wrestling between what he thinks are his important responsibilities, especially while his ship is still out there parked on the shores of Ajiro, and, by his eventual admission, the fact that his "own people... seem strange." He'd certainly rather get into a fight with one of his former crewmates over his new wardrobe than acknowledge how changed he's become — and after essentially pounding said crewmate's face into a pulp, any attempt at getting the old Erasmus gang back together seems to be well and truly dead.

Meanwhile, Mariko's story continues to live in the angsty places this week, but a critical conversation seems to have put the final nail in the coffin of reconciliation between her and Buntaro . Although her husband makes an effort at something resembling a grand gesture by way of a chanoyu , or tea ceremony — even Mariko remarks on how beautiful it is! — Buntaro sort of mucks it up by suggesting the two of them meet death together in protest of Toranaga's impending surrender. What's worse is that he frames it as a romantic and meaningful proposal, trying to get her to remember when their relationship was a happy one. Mariko, however, is under no illusions that their marriage was anything other than awful and doesn't let Buntaro's chanoyu distract her from delivering the brutally honest truth. For her, what she's been denied all these years isn't death , but a life free of him — and she would rather "live a thousand years than die with [him] like this." Her words are necessarily cutting, even though Buntaro waits until she's left the room before breaking down. On the one hand, kudos to Mariko for finally freeing herself of this guy; on the other, Sawai and Abe play this scene with such painful clarity that it's hard not to feel a little sad about the end of their characters' relationship.

Toranaga's Master Plan Begins to Take Shape in 'Shōgun' Episode 8

As it turns out, Nagakado's shocking death was only the beginning of the bodycount — and with only two episodes remaining, no doubt even more losses are in store for Toranaga and his allies. What makes this week's installment so heartbreaking is the lengths that co-creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks , as well as the writers' room, have gone to in order to make Shōgun 's ensemble feel as dimensional and complex as possible. That kind of crucial character work is precisely what makes the death that plays out in "The Abyss of Life" even more excruciating — especially once we learn that it was all a ruse carried out in service of Toranaga's greater plan .

Naturally, the stage has to be set for everyone else to believe that one of the series' most rooted relationships has reached an impasse — and that for Toranaga's most trusted general, no other path sits before him apart from death. On an ominously dark and rainy day in Edo, Toranaga's vassals are assembled at the lord's request, where he declares that everyone must sign their names alongside his own in surrender on a document to be delivered to Ishido ( Takehiro Hira ). Everyone seems visibly uneasy about putting things down in writing, but Yabushige and his nephew Omi ( Hiroto Kanai ) contribute their signatures, and for a moment it seems as though everything will proceed without incident — until one vassal stops the signing process. Naturally, there is suspicion within Toranaga's generals that his plan is simply part of a greater ploy , but the "great master of trickery" simply says that he is prepared for his fight to end here.

While the generals loudly decry Toranaga's actions, Hiromatsu's quiet declaration that he will commit seppuku in protest brings everything to a screeching halt. Even Toranaga appears stunned by his chief general's lack of allegiance, but when the other vassals try to interrupt, Hiromatsu silences them with a single word, insisting that whatever plays out next is between himself and his lord alone. Despite his efforts to appeal to Toranaga on more than one level — their long history together, their deep friendship, the fact that the lord is throwing away everything they've fought so hard for — the bushō will not yield. So Hiromatsu begins preparing to commit seppuku, much to everyone else's horror, including Buntaro, who is tapped as his father's second and immediately vows to end his own life afterward. In an ironic turn, Hiromatsu orders his son to live, saying, "You will know what it is to be denied," but adds that Buntaro must continue on and not give up on Toranaga, even when he seems to have given up on himself.

Hiromatsu's death seems completely unavoidable, but only we — and later, Mariko — discover that it was a necessary part of duty later that night. In a private audience with her lord, the translator is visibly shocked to learn that Hiromatsu's display of protest was inevitable, because the general was in on Toranaga's plan . It doesn't make the loss of an old friend that much easier to bear, though, and throughout this revelatory conversation, Sanada's performance, as the lord holds back tears in multiple instances, lets us witness how much of a toll this battle is taking on Toranaga. In order for Osaka and the Council to believe that Toranaga's defeat is legitimate, they also have to believe that his closest allies are divided — and there's no more convincing way to do that than for one of them to take his own life. However, as Mariko vows she's ready to do her part in whatever comes next, and Toranaga swears that his allies' sacrifices will not be in vain, his enemies are also strengthening their bonds, especially now that Ishido and Ochiba ( Fumi Nikaido ) have just agreed to join forces in marriage...

As dissent rises in Toranaga's ranks, Blackthorne and Mariko must each decide who they'll fight for in Shogun Episode 8.

• Hiroyuki Sanada continues to infuse his performance in Shogun with even more depth and complexity.
• Mariko and Buntaro's tea ceremony scene is given painful clarity thanks to Anna Sawai and Shinnosuke Abe.
• Hiromatsu's death is exactly as heartwrenching as it needs to be thanks to the show's excellent character work so far.

New episodes of Shōgun premiere each Tuesday on FX and Hulu in the U.S.

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