For a long time opera was dominated by larger-than-life characters: kings and queens, gods and goddesses, mythic figures with power over life and death. However, as opera became a more and more popular form of entertainment, the perspective changed. The challenge for composers and librettists was to give these legendary characters common feelings - to put little sorrow in great souls - so that ordinary people could easily identify with on stage dramas. Composers turned to stories about simpler, more realistic characters, creating a whole new set of challenges in the process. Nobody knew that...