In our second week of learning about macbeth and the 1950’s we started to get more deeper into our learning. The plot was thickening in macbeth, and we were nearing the cold war in our 50’s lessons. One of the things I drew from the most was the entertainment aspect of both of these topics and how evidently they related to each other, and how easy and understandable it would be to use this as my main focus and connection for this past week of learning I think it is by far one of the most obvious connections between two.

In Shakespearean times, people were looking for ways to be entertained. Wether it be to pay to visit a jail to make fun of inmates, get drunk, purchase sex, practice archery or watch a play. People were constantly looking to be entertained, especially in such a depressing era. There was no proper sanitation, it smelled horrible all the time and there were really only a few options for the average citizen to amuse themselves with. This can be compared to the 1950’s really effectively.

The second world war had just come to a close. Battle scarred men had returned from years of being in combat, and people were looking for a way to distract themselves from what atrocities the world had just endured. So, guess what they did? They watched TV! By the mid 1950’s, three quarters of the entire population of the united states owned a television. Now, obviously these televisions weren’t like you modern ones, they only displayed a black and white image, because of the limitations of the technology at the time.

But, they still provided a constant stream of entertainment to almost every family in america. If you were to be watching TV in the 50’s you would not see sportsnet or cartoon network, you would see stereotypical shows that encompass being “American”. These shows, such as ‘father knows best’ and ‘leave it to beaver’ exemplified what every American family should be, and more importantly, they promoted believing in the American dream; having a white picket fence, a wife, two and a half kids, and a nice car. These ideals have evidently influenced American culture just like Shakespeare has in his time, in fact, each of these things have changed the world in some way.

I have also made a custom photo that displays macbeth and TV in the 50’s and how they relate to each other.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my second “This Week I Learned” post, and I hope to see you next week!