1. Emotional Appeal: Melodrama capitalized on the audience's emotions, featuring highly exaggerated characters, situations, and conflicts. These plays were known for their emotional intensity, with clear distinctions between good and evil, and characters expressing their emotions without restraint.
2. Sensationalism: Melodramas incorporated sensational elements to captivate the audience. These elements included villainous characters, damsels in distress, thrilling rescues, sudden plot twists, and moral lessons. The sensationalism offered an escape from the mundane realities of everyday life.
3. Simplicity of Plot: Melodramas presented simple and straightforward plots that were easy for the audience to follow. They often adhered to a formulaic structure with a clear moral message at the end, making them appealing to a wide range of viewers.
4. Accessibility: Melodramas were performed in popular venues such as music halls, fairgrounds, and purpose-built theatres. These theatres catered to the working class and provided affordable entertainment options.
5. Catharsis and Escapism: Melodramas offered the audience an opportunity for catharsis, allowing them to experience a range of emotions and temporarily escape their own troubles. The plays often provided a sense of justice and moral retribution, which resonated with the working-class audience.
6. Social Context: Melodramas reflected the social issues and concerns of the time. They addressed topics such as social class, gender roles, poverty, and economic inequality, providing a means for the working class to express their hopes, fears, and aspirations.
In summary, melodrama developed as a popular form of entertainment that appealed to the working-class audience. It combined emotional intensity, sensationalism, simplicity of plot, accessibility, and a focus on social issues, offering catharsis and escapism while reflecting the social context of the 19th century.