Melodrama Very popular form in late 18th and 19th centuries Develops out of comic opera sentimental comedy Originally French comes to England and then US Name literally translates to music drama Reinforces community values Values emotion rather than reason Characteristics of a Melodrama Script Clear division between good and evil Designed to provoke sentimental reactions happiness pity sorrow fear Moments of extreme tension but justice is done at the end Usually ends happily if not ends beautifully and sentimentally Often adapted form novels may have large complex plots Melodrama for social reform particularly common in US Identifies a particular social problem alcoholism slavery etc Creates villain that embodies that problem Defeat of the villain means defeat of the problem Characters in a Melodrama Stock characters embody social norms ideals Heroines delicate innocent Heroes strong noble Villains immoral and malicious often tries to force heroine to marry him Other common characters relief Hero s sidekick assists hero good but perhaps not quite as noble sometimes provides comic Fallen woman prostitute woman who was otherwise led astray often compassionate kind but can never redeem herself fully Mother figure maternal kind often used by villain to manipulate heroine Melodrama in Performance Music singing and underscoring Visual spectacle Animals flooded stages panoramas pyrotechnics etc Many scenes with elaborate scenery Scripts often written to allow for dramatic special effects at the end of each scene Acting style presentational Uncle Tom s Cabin Based on Harriet Beecher Stowe s 1852 novel Second most popular book of the 19th century after the Bible Characters ideas widely used in many formats like advertising Many adaptations most produced by play of the 19th century in the US In 1899 500 touring companies produced this play Major characters Uncle Tom Little Eva Simon Legree
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