In 'Wicked,' it’s easy to point to the Wizard as the source of all Oz’s troubles. He's a fraud, a manipulator, and a tyrant. But the story’s enduring power lies in how it shows that a crisis is never the work of just one man.
Madame Morrible: The Master Propagandist
Long before the Wizard labels
Elphaba 'wicked,' Madame Morrible lays the groundwork. As the Headmistress of Shiz University, she is the ultimate gatekeeper of power and information. Morrible spots Elphaba’s raw magical talent not as something to nurture for good, but as a tool to be controlled and exploited for the regime. She presents herself as a mentor, only to manipulate Elphaba into serving the Wizard's corrupt agenda. When Elphaba rebels, it is Morrible who crafts the public relations campaign against her, twisting her defiance into a narrative of wickedness and turning the citizens of Oz into a fearful mob. She is the architect of the witch hunt, proving that the person who controls the story often holds more power than the person on the throne.
Nessarose Thropp: The Tyranny of Good Intentions
Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, becomes a villain not through malice, but through tragedy and entitlement. Seen as beautiful and favored by her father, she is also confined to a wheelchair. When Elphaba enchants her shoes to allow her to walk, it doesn't bring her happiness. Instead, her unrequited love for Boq and her new position as the Governor of Munchkinland curdle into a possessive and oppressive rule. To stop Boq from leaving her, she strips the Munchkins of their rights, becoming a petty tyrant. Her misguided attempt to win his heart by casting a spell from Elphaba's Grimmerie backfires spectacularly, accidentally shrinking his heart and leading Elphaba to turn him into the Tin Woodman to save him. Nessarose represents how personal pain, when combined with power, can become just as destructive as any grand, evil plan.
The Citizens of Oz: An Apathetic Public
Perhaps the most chilling antagonist in Oz is the general public. The Wizard’s power doesn't just come from his smoke and mirrors; it’s granted by the citizens who choose to believe the comfortable lies he tells. They are swayed by propaganda and spectacle, readily accepting the demonization of the Animals and, later, of Elphaba. Their fear and willingness to have an enemy unite them makes them complicit in the Wizard's authoritarian regime. When the message 'Animals should be seen and not heard' appears, it's the silence of the students that allows the persecution to grow. 'Wicked' powerfully argues that despots thrive not just on their own strength, but on the passive consent and willful ignorance of the masses who would rather have a simple enemy than a complex truth.
Doctor Dillamond: The Canary in the Coal Mine
While Doctor Dillamond is a victim, his story is crucial to understanding the forces that create the crisis. As a Goat and a respected professor at Shiz, he is the voice of reason and science, working to prove that there is no inherent difference between Animals and humans. His persecution is the first clear sign that something is deeply wrong in Oz. The regime cannot allow his truth to come out, as it would dismantle the basis for their oppression. In the musical, he is forcibly removed from his post and later revealed to have lost the ability to speak, a symbol of the regime's silencing of dissent. His fate demonstrates that the first casualty of a corrupt state is often the truth itself, and those who dare to speak it.
Glinda the Good: The Perils of Popularity
While she ultimately earns her title 'the Good,' Glinda’s journey is fraught with choices that prop up the corrupt system. Initially, her primary concerns are popularity, status, and fitting in. Her desire for social acceptance makes her an unwitting accomplice. She stands by as Doctor Dillamond is taken away and initially embraces the Wizard's glamorous world. Though she feels guilt, her fear of losing her privileged position prevents her from acting sooner. It is Glinda who suggests that the Wizard's new press secretary—Madame Morrible—spread the rumor that Elphaba's green skin is the result of a potion, a lie that fuels the public's prejudice. Glinda's complicity, born from a desire to be loved, shows how 'good' people can enable terrible things simply by choosing the path of least resistance.
