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| The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. |
This blog post is dedicated to the following people:
L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books, for being a dear friend and storyteller to people everywhere.
Gregory Maguire, author of The Wicked Years.
Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, and the rest of the cast of 2003 original Broadway production.
Stephen Schwartz for composing the amazing music and songs.
My cousin Catalina for defying gravity with me in February 2014.
About L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856, in Chittenango, New York. He enjoyed a comfortable upbringing as the son of a barrel factory owner who was also successful in the oil business. He was named "Lyman" after an uncle, but he hated his first name and chose to be called by his middle name "Frank" instead.
In 1882, Baum married Maud Gage, daughter of famed suffragist Joslyn Gage. Baum discovered his talent in storytelling when he told fantastic tales to his sons and their friends, his mother-in-law calling him a fool if didn't write them down.
In 1900, Baum published his famous book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, introducing readers to Dorothy, a Kansan farm girl who has adventures in a marvellous land that's home to Munchkins and Witches.
Throughout his life, Baum published a total of fourteen Oz books, some of which he had even adapted into plays.
L. Frank Baum died on May 6, 1919 in Hollywood, California.
Even after Baum's death, his stories live on in theatrical and screen adaptations.
In 1939, MGM released The Wizard of Oz, a fantasy musical film adaptation starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Ray Bolger as Scarecrow, Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Billie Burke as Glinda, and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West; in the following decades since it premiered, The Wizard of Oz is considered one of the most famous films of all time.
Starting in 1995, Gregory Maguire has been retelling the Oz Books in The Wicked Years and Another Day, two dark adult fantasy novel series chronicling the lives of Elphaba Thropp the Wicked Witch of the West and her descendants.
In 2003, the first Wicked book was loosely adapted into a hit family-friendly Broadway musical composed by Stephen Schwartz, with the original production starring Tony winners Idina Menzel (Rent) as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth (You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown) as Glinda.
In 2024 and 2025, Wicked will be adapted into a two-part musical film directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights). The cast for the upcoming films includes Cynthia Erivo (Widows, Harriet) as Elphaba, Ariana Grande-Butera (Victorious, Sam & Cat) as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Everything, Everywhere All at Once) as Madame Morrible, Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Dillamond, and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) as the Wizard of Oz.
Summary of Wicked
Act I
In the Land of Oz, the citizens dance cheerfully in the streets because the Wicked Witch of the West is dead. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives in her magic bubble to announce the Wicked Witch's official time of death. When asked by her fellow Ozians about the origins of the Witch and of wickedness, Glinda tells them that the Wicked Witch had a family and a childhood, as the rest of them do. She also asks them whether they believe a person is born wicked or chooses to be so.
In a flashback, the Witch's parents were Governor Thropp of Munchkinland and his wife. Despite having such a loving husband, Mrs. Thropp had an affair with a stranger who offered her a bottle of green elixir. Nine months later, Mrs. Thropp gave birth to Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, who was born with green skin which disgusted the Governor ("No One Mourns the Wicked").
Glinda is about to leave when she is stopped by a fellow Ozian who asks her if she was once the Witch's friend. Glinda confesses that she and Elphaba knew each other.
In flashbacks, a young Elphaba arrives at the courtyard of Shiz University. The other students are repulsed by her appearance and keep away from her. Another new student also arrives: the beautiful and spoiled blonde-haired Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands ("Dear Old Shiz"). Elphaba's "normal-coloured" sister, Nessarose "Nessa" Thropp, arrives confined in a wheelchair. Their father, the Governor, gives Nessarose a pair of silver shoes as a parting gift. On the other hand, he gives nothing to Elphaba, whom he despises, and orders her to look after Nessarose.
Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz University, assigns the new students to their rooms. She states that Nessarose will be staying with her. Elphaba is unhappy with this arrangement and gets roomed with Galinda, to their disgust.
Elphaba insists on rooming with Nessarose and demands her sister be released into her care. In her anger, Nessa's wheelchair spins by itself and everything in the courtyard shakes. Madame Morrible realises that Elphaba is gifted in magic and vows to teach her sorcery and no other students. Galinda is shocked as she wants to study magic. Madame Morrible implies that, in time, Elphaba might even get to meet the Wizard. Elphaba is amazed and excited, and hopes to one day meet the Wizard whom she idolises ("The Wizard and I").
Later in their room, Galinda and Elphaba quickly decide that they loath one another as they have nothing in common ("What is This Feeling?"). One day, they attend history class with Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat and only Animal professor at the university. While giving his lesson, his blackboard is vandalised with the words, "Animals should be seen and not heard." The students are shocked and Dr. Dillamond dismisses them early when none of them would admit who is responsible. He tells Elphaba, who stays behind and befriends him, that Animals all over Oz are losing their civil rights and ability to speak. He also insists that something sinister is going on and becomes embarrassed when he bleats like a non-talking goat, and walks off ("Something Bad").
Meanwhile, a Winkie prince named Fiyero Tigular arrives at the university. He decides that all the students have a dance party at the Ozdust Ballroom that night. Boq, a young Munchkin, has a crush on Galinda and tries to invite her to the party. However, she suggests that he ask Nessarose, so that she can go with Fiyero.
In Nessa's room, Elphaba tells her sister that she thinks the party is an absurd idea. Nessa disagrees, and delightfully announces she even has a date, and that Galinda was the one who orchestrated the whole thing.
Back in her room, Galinda and her friends are getting dressed for the party. One of Galinda's friends opens a box from her grandmother, discovering a tall, black, pointed hat, and suggests she give it to someone she hates. Galinda agrees, and gives it to Elphaba to wear at the party.
That evening, the party begins, and Fiyero and Galinda dance. Madame Morrible shows up and surprises Galinda with a training wand, informing her that Elphaba requested that she also be included in the sorcery class.
Elphaba herself arrives at the dance, wearing the hat, and all the students laugh at her. She stays anyway and dances alone, which only incites more laughter. Galinda feels terrible, and goes to dance with her roommate. Meanwhile Boq attempts to confess to Nessarose, who has clearly fallen in love with him, the reason why he invited her, but stops so he cannot hurt her feelings. The party ends with everyone having a good time ("Dancing Through Life").
When they return to their room, Galinda questions Elphaba about a green bottle that she sleeps with under her pillow. Elphaba explains that the bottle belonged to her mother. She also reveals that her father made her mother eat milkweed flowers to prevent Nessa from becoming green like Elphaba. However, the flowers caused Nessa to be born prematurely and paralysed, and killed their mother in childbirth. Galinda tells Elphaba that her mother's death was not her fault and promises to make her new friend, whom nicknames "Elphie", pretty ("Popular").
The next day in history class, Dr. Dillamond gets fired and taken forcefully from the classroom. A mysterious government scientist comes in to teach the students, bringing a terrified, caged Lion cub. The scientist insists that cages are the next big thing, and that it is for the animal's own good. Elphaba is so angry by the idea of caged Animals that she casts a spell that makes the class go mad. Only Fiyero is unaffected and he helps Elphaba steal the Lion cub to return him to the forest.
In the forest, Elphaba and Fiyero talk to and tease each other. Although they are different, they realise they are mysteriously drawn to one another. After an awkward moment, though, Fiyero rushes away to release the Lion cub, and Elphaba, certain that her green skin could never attract a handsome man like Fiyero, laments over her situation ("I’m Not That Girl").
Madame Morrible arrives as it starts to rain, and informs Elphaba that her progress in sorcery class has landed her an invitation to see the Wizard. Elphaba is thrilled and Madame Morrible orders her under an umbrella before making the rain stop, confessing that controlling the weather is her talent.
As Elphaba gets ready to leave for the Emerald City, Galinda, Fiyero, and Nessa gather at the train station to see her off. Galinda, distressed that Fiyero has been acting strangely ever since the day Dr. Dillamond got fired, informs both him and Elphaba that she is renaming herself "Glinda," in honour of the Animal professor who could never pronounce her name correctly. Fiyero is unimpressed, and leaves. Glinda cries on Elphaba's shoulder, fearing that Fiyero does not care for her anymore. Elphaba invites her to come with her to the Emerald City, to take her mind off him. Glinda agrees, and the two friends set off to enjoy what the city offers ("One Short Day").
In the palace, Elphaba and Glinda meet the Wizard. He tells Elphaba how impressed he is with her sorcery skills and he wishes to raise her "high" ("Sentimental Man"). Elphaba is eager to discuss with the Wizard the Animals' plight. He agrees to grant her request if she proves her worth.
Madame Morrible appears, revealing that she works for the Wizard as his press secretary, surprising both Glinda and Elphaba. Madame Morrible carries the Grimmerie, a book of spells which only the magically gifted can read. She gives it to Elphaba, and the Wizard requests her to cast a levitation spell on his monkey servant, Chistery, so that he might be able to watch the birds better. Elphaba, to the Wizard and Madame Morrible's amazement and delight, can read the book.
The spell works, but Chistery ends up sprouting a pair of wings, much to Elphaba's horror. The Wizard then reveals a flock of winged monkeys whom Elphaba has enchanted, and he plans to use them as spies, flying throughout Oz to stop any rebel Animal's behaviour. He explains that Elphaba and Glinda will now become very powerful. Glinda is quite taken in by the offer, but Elphaba is disgusted when she realizes that the Wizard has no power and has been the cause of all the Animals' mistreatment. She runs off with the Grimmerie, and Glinda and the Wizard's guards rush after her.
Elphaba runs to the highest room in the Wizard's tower. Glinda catches up and tells her that she thinks she is being melodramatic and stupid, and that she has, perhaps, now ruined any chance she might have had of becoming partners with the Wizard. Elphaba tells Glinda that she thinks she is foolish and shallow to sacrifice her principles to be famous.
Then both girls overhear Madame Morrible, reporting to the citizens of Oz that Elphaba is a wicked witch who is responsible for cursing the monkeys and must be feared.
Glinda begs Elphaba to reconsider her position and apologise to the Wizard. Elphaba, now trapped in the tower, consults with the Grimmerie to try the levitation spell again, giving a broomstick the power of flight. Elphaba persuades Glinda to get on the broomstick and come with her. The guards infiltrate the tower, and Glinda tells Elphaba to leave. Elphaba flies on her broomstick above the Ozians, and tells them that if they want to find her, they can "look to the western sky" as she refuses to bow down to the Wizard ("Defying Gravity").
Act II
Sometime later, Elphaba's opposition to the Wizard has earned her the title "The Wicked Witch of the West." At a press conference, Glinda, now known as "Glinda the Good", has been positioned by Madame Morrible as Oz's defender against Elphaba. Fiyero, who has been appointed Captain of the Guard, is outraged that people believe that Elphaba is so evil, water can melt her. Glinda reasons with him, saying that Elphaba does not want to be found. Fiyero has been trying to find her for years, but he has been unable to. Glinda then announces to the crowd, to Fiyero's surprise, their upcoming engagement. Fiyero, taken aback, leaves. She hides her dismay, and celebrates her engagement with Madame Morrible and the citizens of Oz ("Thank Goodness").
In Munchkinland, Nessarose is the new Governor. Boq is now her servant, imprisoned by laws Nessarose has enacted to keep him by her side. Elphaba pays Nessa and asks for her help. Nessa refuses and tells Elphaba that their father died of shame when he heard of her "crimes." Furthermore, she accuses Elphaba of being selfish in her pursuits to help Animals.
Elphaba feels awful that she has not helped Nessa more, and casts a spell on her silver shoes to make her walk unaided. Nessa's silver shoes become ruby slippers and they enable her to stand up. Thrilled, Nessa calls in Boq. When Boq sees that Nessa can walk on her own and, hoping that she does not need him anymore, begs for her permission to attend Glinda's engagement party, for he wishes to tell the Good Witch he loves her before she marries Fiyero.
Enraged, Nessa grabs the Grimmerie to make Boq love her, but unable to read the book, she mispronounces a random spell that causes Boq's heart to shrink. Elphaba immediately casts another spell to save Boq's life, turning him into a Tin Man. Boq runs away in fear and Nessa, blaming Elphaba for ruining her life, entitles herself the Wicked Witch of the East. Elphaba then leaves Munchkinland, heartbroken over her failure to reconcile with her baby sister.
At the Wizard's palace, Glinda and Fiyero's engagement party has just gotten underway. Elphaba, meanwhile, sneaks back to release the flying monkeys. The Wizard catches her, however, and tries to win her over again ("Wonderful"). Elphaba is almost charmed by the Wizard, and asks him to free the monkeys in exchange for her cooperation. The Wizard agrees, but before the deal is done, Elphaba is mortified when she discovers Dr. Dillamond, who has been imprisoned by the Wizard and has lost his powers of speech. Elphaba tells the Wizard that she will never be like him, and vows to fight him until the end.
Fiyero and two guards enter, along with Glinda. Fiyero tells Glinda that he cannot marry her and confesses his love for Elphaba whom he helps escape.
The Wizard feels sorry for Glinda, and offers her a drink from a green bottle, which she declines. Madame Morrible enters and she and the Wizard try to figure out how they should capture Elphaba. Glinda, heartbroken, suggests that they threaten Nessarose, so that Elphaba will come out of hiding, before running off. Madame Morrible tells the Wizard that she agrees with Glinda's idea, but threatening Nessarose is not enough, so she summons a cyclone.
Glinda wanders around the tower, and mourns as she realises that Fiyero has never loved her ("I'm Not That Girl, Reprise").
In the forest, Elphaba and Fiyero profess their love and to be together always ("As Long as You’re Mine"). Their time together gets interrupted when Elphaba envisions Nessarose in pain and a house flying through the sky. Before she goes to Nessa, Fiyero tells her that if anything goes wrong, Elphaba should go to his castle in Kiamo Ko. Elphaba agrees and flies to Munchkinland.
In Munchkinland, Glinda has just sent Dorothy Gale and Toto the dog down the yellow brick road. Elphaba comes to pay her last respects to Nessa who has been crushed to death by Dorothy's house. She is angry that Glinda had given away her sister's ruby slippers. Glinda tells Elphaba that apparently, many people in Oz steal things, just as she "stole" Fiyero from her. Elphaba laughs angrily, and tells Glinda that Fiyero never loved her. In a rage, Glinda engages Elphaba in a catfight when the Wizard's guards appear and arrest the latter.
Fiyero arrives and orders the guards to let Elphaba go or else witness him slay Glinda. Glinda is at first terrified and confused, but she realises Fiyero is not going to hurt her. Fiyero tells Elphaba to leave. Glinda, finally realises that Fiyero truly loves Elphaba, who quickly flies off. Once Elphaba is gone, the guards tie Fiyero to a pole in a cornfield, threatening to kill him if does not reveal Elphaba's whereabouts.
Once safely in Kiamo Ko, Elphaba casts a spell on Fiyero to ensure he can never die, but stops upon realising she has not checked what the spell is exactly for. Believing she has killed Fiyero, Elphaba laments that all her good deeds have only gotten her loved ones into trouble and decides to be the Wicked Witch of the West she is believed to be ("No Good Deed").
Outside, a mob of witch hunters gathers, accompanied by Boq and the Cowardly Lion, who is formerly the cub Elphaba had rescued. Watching all of this are Glinda and Madame Morrible. Glinda contemplates Nessa's death, and asks Madame Morrible if she is responsible for the cyclone. Madame Morrible does not deny it, but insists that Glinda has gotten exactly what she has always wanted. Feeling guilty, Glinda rushes off to warn Elphaba ("March of the Witch Hunters").
Back at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba tries unsuccessfully to retrieve the ruby slippers from Dorothy. Glinda arrives to warn Elphaba of the mob coming to kill her and persuades her to release Dorothy and Toto. Elphaba, still annoyed, tells Glinda to go away. Chistery presents Elphaba with a letter which informs her that Fiyero has died.
Glinda and Elphaba forgive each other's mistakes. To help her friend in the future, Elphaba gives Glinda the Grimmerie. The two friends then bid each other a tearful goodbye ("For Good").
As the mob approaches, Elphaba orders Glinda to run and hide. Glinda watches as Dorothy is broken free and melts Elphaba with a bucket of water.
Glinda is grief-stricken over her friend's demise and Chistery presents her with a green bottle. Glinda realises something and quickly leaves Kiamo Ko with the Grimmerie and the bottle.
In the Emerald City, the Wizard and Madame Morrible muse over Elphaba's death. Glinda arrives and presents the Wizard with Elphaba's bottle. She tells him it had belonged to Elphaba's mother, and the only one like it she has ever seen is the Wizard's when he had offered her a drink. The Wizard then realises he is Elphaba's real father and collapses to the floor with regret. Madame Morrible also realises that Elphaba had power because she was "a child of both worlds."
Glinda, still grieving, orders the Wizard to leave Oz immediately. She then orders the guards to arrest Madame Morrible for murdering Nessarose, and proceeds with a heavy heart to Munchkinland, where a celebration is taking place over Elphaba's death.
Meanwhile, Fiyero, whom Elphaba had turned into a Scarecrow, wanders into Kiamo Ko. He kneels on the floor where Elphaba melted and knocks on it. A trap door opens and out comes Elphaba, who has faked her own death. Now reunited, the lovers embrace and decide to leave Oz.
In Munchkinland, Glinda, up in her magic bubble, clutches the Grimmerie. She hides her grief, smiles, and tells the citizens of Oz that they have been through a frightening ordeal, but now she is there to help and lead them as "Glinda the Good."
Elphaba looks longingly to the North, at Glinda, and leaves Oz with Fiyero ("Finale").
Symbols
Water🪣
In the original book by Baum and the musical, water's both a giver of life and a cause of death; it has very strong positive and negative connotations attached to it.
Elphaba's a child of two worlds and doesn't fully belong in either one or the other. Water really represents the "other world" from which Dorothy and the Wizard come from. The three "foreigners"- the Wizard, the Witch, and Dorothy - are arguably more important to Oz than anyone else. Water helps emphasise their anomalous statuses, especially Elphaba's (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Nessa's Shoes👠
The shoes are the one thing Elphaba wants above all else, both in the book and the film, but she wants the shoes for slightly different reasons than her film counterpart.
While the film depicts the shoes as symbols of power, in the musical, they're symbols of love, acceptance, and family. Above all else, Nessa's shoes represent Elphaba's need to be accepted, loved, and considered important, particularly to her stepfather.
The shoes aren't just related to themes of family and acceptance, though. They also, as in the film, represent power. Interestingly, though, that becomes more of an excuse for Elphaba to justify her obsession with getting the shoes from Dorothy.
Ultimately, Elphaba may turn the shoes into something more than they really are (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
The Flying Monkeys🐒
The flying monkeys demonstrate how appearances can be deceiving, which is a running theme throughout the musical. These animals seem violent and mean, but they prove to be loyal, helpful, and even loving around Elphaba. She has a gift for dealing with Animals, and it's no accident that her major political crusade involves their rights (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
The Grimmerie📗
The Grimmerie's a book of power, destruction, and mystery. No one's sure exactly what it is or where it came from. Does its existence mean that magic exists in the other world as well as in Oz? Did Oz make the Grimmerie magical? Is the book inherently dangerous, or are the people using it the ones who are dangerous?
The Grimmerie's symbolically linked with the Wizard, and thus with themes of power and corruption. It's rather ironic that Elphaba uses it to make monkeys and a broomstick fly and Nessa walk unaided. Ultimately, she uses the Grimmerie to transform Boq and Fiyero into the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, respectively. The fact that Elphaba uses the Grimmerie to cast those spells highlights its dangerous power and potential corruption (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Colour💚❤️
It's fitting that colour motifs play such a major role in the musical. After all, colours are one of the hallmarks of the movie The Wizard of Oz. Who can forget the moment Dorothy steps out of her black and white world into the colourful Land of Oz?
The Oz in the film may be all about a rainbow, but the Oz in Wicked really emphasises two colours: red and green.
Red's the colour of blood, greed, death, and power run amuck. It's also associated with Nessa's shoes. They're the key to Elphaba's downfall in a way; her obsession with them drives her to kidnap Dorothy. The shoes also give Nessa a dangerous sense of self-importance and independence, which fuels her dictatorship in Munchkinland. Above all else, red's the colour of a very dangerous kind of power and violence in the show.
Green's a bit more complex. If red's characterised by a series of synonyms (power, blood, greed, violence), then green's associated with a series of opposites. It's linked to both Elphaba and to Oz itself. There's also the bottle, the Emerald City, and Elphaba's skin colour.
What's interesting is that green Elphaba is an abnormality, a freak, an alien in the very "green" land of Oz. In a way, Elphaba's more "of Oz," with her green skin, than anyone else in the musical.
Moreover, Elphaba's odd, someone who doesn't quite belong in Oz. What is interesting is that the Emerald City's depicted in the same way. It's a paradox: the city's the capital of Oz, but also out of place and weird. Therefore, Elphaba and the Emerald City share an odd sort of symbiosis.
Green Elphaba got a double dose of the colour, from Oz itself and from the world from which her biological father, the Wizard, comes from. Green may ultimately be both a colour of belonging and of alienation (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Names📖
Names and titles have a lot of symbolic power here: they define who people are and how they are perceived by others. They also symbolise the power of self-reinvention. The audience can really see this with three of the major characters who undergo dramatic personal changes and have name changes to match: Galinda becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Nessa becomes the Wicked Witch of the East.
It's notable that characters both choose and are given names here. Galinda of course chooses to become Glinda, which is her way of representing her agreement with Fiyero and Elphaba over Dr. Dillamond's firing.
Elphaba, on the other hand, has been given two names by other people: Glinda calls her Elphie; the public at large grant her the moniker of Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba's thus defined and determined by the people around her, and she often accepts these names. Names and naming help demonstrate how Elphaba's not always wholly in control of her own identity, which is rather fitting. After all, as the Wicked Witch of the West, she's almost more myth than reality (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). When writing Wicked, Maguire named Elphaba after L. Frank Baum's initials (L.F.B.).
In an interview, Maguire offered up an interesting thought on this motif and on the theme of evil in Wicked. He asks:
"If everyone was always calling you a bad name, how much of that would you internalize? How much of that would you say, all right, go ahead, I’ll be everything that you call me because I have no capacity to change your minds anyway so why bother (Wilson 2008)."
The Wizard🧙🏼♂️
The Wizard himself could be taken to symbolise corrupt politicians. He's an unqualified leader who lies to the public to get what he wants. Once he's in control, the Wizard continues this strategy, unconcerned with who he might hurt in the process. Once he discovers he's Elphaba’s true father, the Wizard leaves Oz in lieu of owning up to his mistakes. He never comes clean to the huge population that he has been so dishonest with, maintaining until the end that he's not a crook (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Themes
Guilt
Guilt for Elphaba, is something almost tangible. It's at the core of her major relationships, and drives her actions, especially after Dr. Dillamond stops talking, Nessa gets killed, and Fiyero gets taken away by the Wizard's guards; it largely defines who she is as a person; and it practically functions as a companion to her. Guilt is an almost physical burden that Elphaba drags around with her when she becomes the Wicked Witch. Where there's guilt, there's of course blame (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Language and Communication
The Oz Books have been retold countless times, so it's fitting that storytelling itself is a major theme in the musical. Wicked's all about re-telling the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. However, there's never just one version of any story in the show, and this is particularly true of the Witch's. Her story's just one of many in Oz that gets retold and reinterpreted repeatedly.
Arguably, Elphaba's life story is separate from the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked complicates this theme even further (particularly in the rumours about Elphaba) by questioning the truthfulness of communication and storytelling itself. There are multiple versions of stories floating around, and every story contains a combination of truth and lies. Telling and hearing stories ultimately boils down to interpretation and perspective. For a musical that's a "re-imagining" of another narrative, it's fitting that communication and stories are neither static nor fixed (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Defeat
Elphaba's life seems to be one big string of failures and disappointments. This is a fact that Elphaba herself notices with a lot of pain. She never seems to achieve her goals, and her failures range from minor, such as Dr. Dillamond losing his speech, to catastrophic, such as Nessarose's death. None of these events is Elphaba's fault, but she thinks it is.
As the musical progresses, Elphaba grows increasingly defeatist and stops trying. This attitude may be a form of evil itself, if evil can be defined as an "absence" of emotion or feeling. The emotional effects of defeat and loss are hugely important for Elphaba's character. It's no wonder she's viewed by many as a villain (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Gender
Wicked's all about strong female characters: Elphaba, Glinda, Nessa, and Morrible. This legacy comes from L. Frank Baum himself, as Maguire explains:
"It was Baum who set up the powerful princesses of Glinda, the witches, and Ozma as the real wielders of power in Oz, and the Wizard was just a sham. Baum was an early and ardent feminist, as anyone who has read his biography knows. I think he'd have been delighted that Elphaba and Glinda (both in the musical Wicked and in my novels) are figures of power to admire, to emulate - and yes, as in any powerful figure, to question." (Minzesheimer, 2005)
Women are figures of power and of influence in Wicked. Relationships between women also play a major role: sisters, friends, rivals, etc. (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Respect and Reputation
In Oz, a person's identity isn't always as important as who others think they are. Many in the kingdom perceive Elphaba as a Wicked Witch because she opposes the Wizard, but she sees herself as an ally to Animals.
Oz the Great and Terrible came to town under similar circumstances, but he works hard to intentionally mislead people. He has convinced an entire kingdom of people that he has magical powers, but he's just a normal man.
Other characters are so consumed by their reputations that it affects their sense of self-worth. Glinda, for instance, seems constantly worried about the state of her popularity. Even though she's the Governor of Munchkinland, Nessarose abuses her power to make sure Boq never leaves her side (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Power
In Wicked, power is a slippery concept. Sometimes, characters find power in unexpected places, like a book of spells or a pair of shoes. Other times, it's missing in places they expect it to be, like the Wizard.
There are two things that should be noted. First, knowledge is power. The Wizard knows that people think he's powerful, and he leverages that knowledge to get what he wants. Similarly, Elphaba knows that many in Oz fear her-a piece of information that gives her the upper hand, at least for a while.
Second, power is power. For a long time, Elphaba knows her own potential. Even though others don't see it in her, she benefits from it anyway. Similarly, Glinda and Fiyero don't recognise their own strengths. Despite those insecurities, those resources help them pull through all sorts of dicey situations (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
Good vs. Evil
The battle between good and evil is the ultimate and original theme of Wicked. However, the twist is that the theme doesn't focus on a showdown between a superhero and a super-villain. Rather, the focus is on good and evil residing within the same person. No one's simply good or evil here. Not surprisingly, evil often outdoes good in the musical, or at least a philosophical concern with evil gets the spotlight more often than any musings on goodness. The show's about a Witch after all.
The concepts of good and evil are much murkier in the character of the Wizard himself, an ordinary man who tricks an entire kingdom into believing he's all-powerful.
Ultimately, neither good nor evil is clearly defined or clearly separated here, which may be precisely the point. If the Land of Oz and its citizens aren't black and white, why should huge concepts like good and evil be anything other than hard to grasp and grey? Goodness is something elusive or hard to find, while evil is depicted as much more complex than a cackling green witch in a pointy black hat. In the end, evil may be nothing more than the absence of awareness, constraint, and goodness. Goodness requires intent and consciousness, but evil can be done subconsciously and even unwillingly; it's a sort of default setting in people, Witches or not (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).
References
- Baum, L. F. (1900). Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The. George M. Hill Company.
- Biography.com Editors. (2016, September 1). L. Frank Baum. Biography. https://www.biography.com/people/frank-baum-9202328
- Chu, J. M. (Director). (2024). Wicked Part 1 [Film]. Universal Pictures.
- Chu, J. M. (Director). (2025). Wicked Part 2 [Film]. Universal Pictures.
- Fleming, V. (Director). (1939). Wizard of Oz, The [Film]. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
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