Character Development

By: Laura Onofrio

Soap operas tell stories. The stories are told through the medium of the characters in the series. Obviously characters are the most important element in any soap opera. In order for a storyline to be successful the character need to have an established profile and a relationship with the audience. "It has been said that the characterization in soap opera is stereotypical; however, stereotypes are necessary because they encapsulate features that are used by audiences as a way of recognizing what the drama is portraying through certain characters (Hobson: 2003:83)." Soap characters cannot be stereotypes because audiences know the characters too well; they are characters that are found in all soap operas that are necessary for the successful relaying of a storyline. Characters have to contain characteristics that are aspects of real individuals so that audience members can connect with the soap opera characters. The characters are key to why audiences watch the programs. Audiences connect with characters as viewers come to expect particular behaviors from particular characters. This relationship helps with the development of new storylines and themes. The acceptance of different characters and an understanding of their psychological complexities is something that is possible because the nature of the genre enables the production to develop and reveal many aspects of major characters.