Melodrama seems to be something which has lost some its meaning and importance in the theatre world since its heyday in the 19th century. While the word melodramatic has fallen into a category of insult, it used to be one of the primary and most popular genres in theatre. Frank Rahill wrote an accurate definition that captures the essence of true theatrical melodrama: “Melodrama is a form of dramatic composition in prose partaking of the nature of tragedy, comedy pantomime, and spectacle, and intended for a popular audience.” He then goes on to explain that the melodramatic form was “primarily concerned with situation and plot … and employs a more or less fixed complement of stock characters” . Melodrama wasn’t necessarily about the overtop nature of the acting; it also focused on easily identifiable and enjoyable tales as told by easily identifiable characters. This reliance on familiarity stems from the …show more content…
Situationally the plot of a melodrama is usually able to be pared down to a fight or catastrophe of some description. While it is the case that in many melodramas this external pressure is explicitly obvious from very early on in the production but this is not always the case. As seen in A Doll’s House, a fight to be the driving factor does not necessarily occur at the beginning and continue. The female protagonist’s, Nora, fear of the fight drive the action. Nora avoids the conflict through deception and distraction. This again demonstrates Ibsen borrowing from the elements of melodrama and changing them for a purpose, but the similarities with the standard melodramatic plot finish when the final act occurs and Ibsen writes a resolution looked upon