Elphaba Isn't Actually Wicked
The biggest revelation in 'Wicked' is that the Wicked Witch of the West, whose real name is Elphaba, was never truly evil. Born with emerald-green skin, she is an outcast from the start. Far from being a villain, she is a passionate, intelligent, and
deeply moral person who becomes a powerful activist. Her 'wickedness' is the result of a smear campaign orchestrated by the real villains of Oz—the Wizard and his press secretary, Madame Morrible. They use propaganda to turn the public against her when she refuses to support the Wizard's oppressive regime, which targets the talking Animals of Oz. Her fight for justice is what brands her an enemy of the state.
Glinda the Good's Complicated Rise
Glinda, the bubbly Good Witch, doesn't start as a paragon of virtue. In 'Wicked,' she is initially a popular, somewhat shallow university student named Galinda who, through an unlikely roommate assignment, becomes Elphaba's rival and eventual friend. Their friendship is the heart of the story. However, faced with a choice between supporting her friend and embracing the power and public adoration offered by the Wizard, Glinda chooses the latter. She becomes a public figurehead for the Wizard's corrupt government, a role that gives her influence but costs her the most important relationship in her life. Her journey is a tragic exploration of ambition, regret, and the compromises we make.
The Origins of Dorothy's Friends
One of the most satisfying parts of 'Wicked' is discovering the backstories of Dorothy’s iconic companions. The Scarecrow is revealed to be Fiyero, a carefree prince who is the shared love interest of Elphaba and Glinda. After he is captured by the Wizard’s guards, Elphaba casts a spell to save his life, inadvertently turning him into the straw-stuffed man we know. The Tin Man is a Munchkin named Boq, whose affections for Glinda are unrequited. A magical mishap involving Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, leads to a spell that shrinks his heart, forcing Elphaba to turn him into tin to save him. The Cowardly Lion was once a lion cub that Elphaba saved from a cruel experiment at Shiz University, an event that left him traumatized and permanently fearful.
The Real Villain is the Wizard
Forget the cackling witch; the true antagonist of Oz is the man behind the curtain. In 'The Wizard of Oz,' he's a harmless humbug. In 'Wicked,' the Wizard is a charismatic but fraudulent dictator from another world. He has no real magic and maintains his power through lies and by creating a common enemy for the people of Oz to fear—Elphaba. He orchestrates a plan to strip talking Animals of their rights and voices, a fascist agenda that Elphaba discovers and vows to fight against. This makes him the driving force behind all the conflict, turning a simple tale of good versus evil into a political commentary on power and propaganda.
The Ruby Slippers and Dorothy's Arrival
Those famous slippers originally belonged to Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger, wheelchair-bound sister who becomes the Governor of Munchkinland. Elphaba enchants the shoes to give her sister the ability to walk. After Nessarose becomes a cruel leader (the eventual Wicked Witch of the East), Glinda, in a moment of spite and grief, suggests to Madame Morrible that they could lure Elphaba out by threatening her sister. Morrible conjures a cyclone that brings Dorothy’s house crashing down on Nessarose, setting the stage for the events of 'The Wizard of Oz'. When Glinda gives the slippers to Dorothy, it’s not just a kind gesture; it's a pivotal act that ties all the storylines together.
