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How did the fake shock generator in the Milgram experiment make the situation seem realistic?

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Stanley Milgram — Stanley Milgram American social psychologist Stanley Milgram with the “shock generator” used in his famous experiment at Yale University in the 1960s.

To make the Milgram experiment appear realistic to participants, the shock generator was designed as an authentic-appearing device featuring 30 distinct voltage levels, ranging from 15 to 450 volts.12

Several specific elements reinforced the credibility of this setup:

Descriptive Labeling: The voltage levels were marked with increasingly alarming descriptions, such as "Slight Shock," "Intense Shock," and "Danger: Severe Shock," culminating in a final, ominous "XXX" label.1
Direct Experience: To ensure participants understood the perceived intensity of the punishment, each "teacher" was administered a sample 45-volt shock before the experiment began.1
Coordinated Feedback: The actor portraying the "learner" provided pre-recorded responses that escalated in tandem with the shock levels. These ranged from grunts of pain to screaming, pleas regarding a fictitious heart condition, and eventually, dead silence.12
Authoritative Pressure: An experimenter acted as an authority figure, using scripted responses to insist that the study must continue, which pressured participants to ignore the learner's reactions and proceed with the shocks.1