MELODRAMA

Melodrama : is the last one of the four types of drama. It is a kind of drama in which everything is hyperbolized. Usually, themes depicted in melodramas are simple and without any unpredictable plot twists. There are quite a lot of stereotypes in such dramas. However, the main point of a melodrama is not to tell a story but to awaken feelings in the audience. They are mostly love stories with beautiful heroines, charming heroes and scary villains. Melodrama originated much later than comedy, tragedy, and tragicomedy. It first appeared in France at the end of the 18th century. Later, it reached Britain and became one of the most popular types of drama in the 19th century. Particularly, the 19th century was the period when theatre was the most popular kind of entertainment and was visited by vast number of people. This is due to the fact that in those times, theaters became available for common people. As melodrama was aimed at this layer of society in particular, it became immensely popular. The influence of melodrama on society was so great that it lived to our days and even penetrated other areas of literature and entertainment.