Melodrama is a subgenre of drama, which is an exaggerated form of this genre. Melodramas deal with sensational and romantic topics that appeal to the emotions of the common audience. Originally, it made use of melody and music, while modern melodramas may not contain any music at all. In fact, a melodrama gives preference to a detailed characterization, where characters are simply drawn, one-dimensional or stereotyped. Typically, a melodrama uses stock characters, including a hero, heroine and villain.

Examples of Melodrama in Literature
Wuthering Heights (by Emily Bronte)

Film director William Wyler adapted Emily Bronte’s classic and popular novel, Wuthering Heights, into a film. The novel is a sweeping romantic melodrama, in which love and class division are destined to become a tragedy. The film stars Heathcliff as an orphan, who is taken into a wealthy family where he falls in love with Catherine, his foster sister.