Through dramatic plots, strong characters and music, melodrama has created an engaging and well-developed form of theatre. But melodrama is not limited to one category. Like other forms of theatrical art, melodrama can be further divided into Victorian melodrama and modern melodrama. As the names suggest, Victorian melodrama was practiced in the Victorian era (1837-1901), while modern melodrama is still performed today. Both equally exaggerated and able to emphasize the conflict between good and evil, these two forms of melodrama shaped the stage theatrically and developed complexity in the development of characters and plot. When viewers hear the word "melodrama," visions of mustachioed villains tying up a helpless damsel in distress are conjured down on the train tracks. Thought of as cheesy, banal, soap opera-like, these stereotypes give a false representation of what the core of melodrama is. Traditionally, melodrama is written in a two-dimensional world, with a hero who is always "good" and a villain who is always "evil." Without any ambiguity, it is clear who these main characters are from their actions, clothing, presentation and music. The plot of the work is strongly developed with gripping, intense and often emotional conflicts. Of course, there are several theatrical scenes leading up to the climax of the melodrama where good triumphs over evil, evil is punished, and a moral lesson is instilled. This, the basis of melodrama, laid the foundation for the development of identifiable characters and strong, engaging plots in any form of theater today. A more defined and refined version of melodrama, Victorian melodrama is a little more specific and complex in its development and definition of its characters. With six standard characters, there's the hero, villain, heroine, sidekick, elderly parent, and parent's servant. Generally, Victorian melodrama plots center on the theme of love and the conflicting murder mystery, set to an overly dramatic soundtrack. The brave, but not very bright hero is deceived by the devious villain, who is hopelessly in love with the heroine. Yet, in every melodrama, good triumphs over evil in a climactic situation and the hero and heroine live happily ever after, with the villain locked away. In contrast to melodrama and Victorian melodrama, modern melodrama is an embodiment of both forms. Although the music has been removed, this updated version still stays true to its theatrical roots. In sitcoms and movies, melodrama is still exhibited through stereotypical characters and exaggerated conflicts, reactions, and emotions.