Again, grand opera with its huge and imposing sets provides the exception. Drama A drama is a serious play that does not rise to meet the strict definition of tragedy. It may contain some humorous episodes, but is mainly sober in tone. Its characters may come from any social class and it is usually placed in domestic settings such as the home and workplace. The themes of drama arise from life problems and interpersonal relationships, especially those of marriage and family.
Dramas stay closer to realism than does any other genre.
This usage of the term drama in this way developed in France in the mid-eighteenth century. Today there are many interpretations and versions of these middle genres. You may have heard such names as tragicomedy, domestic drama, heroic drama, and documentary drama. A trip down the aisles of your local video store can attest to the efficacy of this approach. Melodrama Melodrama, an extreme form of drama, is a kind of morality play in which good is attacked by evil, but good triumphs in the end.