Write a short note on ‘Melodrama’.

Answer

Write a short note on ‘Melodrama’.

Or, What melodramatic elements do you find in “The Duchess of Malfi”? [NU. 2018, 2016]

A melodrama is a type of play that has strong emotions, shocking events, and clear good and evil characters. In melodrama, there is often a hero or heroine who suffers a lot, and a villain who is very cruel. The plot usually has many shocking violence and secrets. These are used to make the audience feel emotions.

John Webster’s (1578 – 1632) “The Duchess of Malfi” (1613-14) is a perfect example of melodrama. In this play, we can see many melodramatic elements:

Extreme Suffering: In this play, the Duchess suffers terribly. She is a young and innocent widow. She is also brave and noble. The Duchess follows her heart and remarries her servant, Antonio. For this reason, her brothers lock her up in a dark cell, torture her mentally, and finally kill her. Her suffering makes the audience feel sad and angry.

Cruel Villains: The Duchess’s brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal, are very cruel villains. They do not want their sister to marry again. This is because they want to get the Duchess’s wealth. When she remarries, they plan to destroy her. Ferdinand says:

“I would have their bodies

Burnt in a coal-pit…”

This line shows his cruelty. Ferdinand shows her fake dead bodies to make her believe that her husband and children are dead. He also sends madmen into her cell to make her go mad. Finally, he sends some executioners to kill her and her two children by strangling. These cruel acts are evil and shocking, like in a melodrama.

Shocking Violence: This play is full of shocking violence. We see gruesome moments like strangling, stabbing, poisoned books, and madmen screaming. In melodrama, these shocking scenes shock and scare the audience.

Secrets and Lies: Melodrama is full of secrets and lies. The Duchess secretly remarries Antonio. Bosola works as a sinister spy for