The Octoroon

The Octoroon is considered to be a melodrama that, in many ways, is representative of the Victorian melodramas popular at the time. What can you glean about melodrama as a genre by reading or watching The Octoroon?

The ending of The Octoroon was changed for British audiences, as Zoe does not commit suicide, but rather leaves for England with George so that they can be married in a land that does not bar interracial marriage. Compare the two versions of the play with each ending. How do the play’s themes and broader message change if Zoe doesn’t die?

The Octoroon was a controversial play on both sides of the slavery debate when it debuted, as both abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates believed the play took the other camp’s side. Make an argument for each side of the slavery argument here, analyzing how the play could be read as both anti- and pro-slavery.