The original wicked witch of the west is a character from L. Frank Baum's famous novel, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The wicked witch plays a central role in the story as the main antagonist who tries to stop Dorothy, the protagonist, from reaching the Emerald City. **The main idea**: The original wicked witch of the west is a character from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" who serves as the main antagonist in the story..
In author L. Frank Baum’s book, which the beloved movie was based on, the character wasn’t much of a looker, resembling an old hag with pigtails and an eye patch.
Both were constructed from black wool bunting fabric and had a shaped brim to make the witch seem more menacing; a diaphanous silk scarf that ties loosely round the base of the cone-shaped head-piece and trails behind the witch on her broomstick, also adds to the image of evil. The picture made a terrible impression of some kind on them, sometimes a ghastly impression, but most of them got over it, I guess Because when I talk like the Witch and when I laugh, there is a hesitation, and then they clap.
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Original wicked witch of the west
Now that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is out of copyright, many have jumped at the chance to produce a reversioning of it, some that are fully based around the character of the Wicked Witch of the West. Five of these reversionings, as well as the original novel, are listed below.
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
The original Wicked Witch of the West appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first of L Frank Baum’s Oz novels. She was depicted as an old woman with three pigtails, and she “had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere” (Baum 1900 p. 85).
Although the character is now one of the most well-known fictional villains of all time, in the novel, the Wicked Witch of the West only appears in one chapter in the middle of the story. Because of this, the Witch cannot be seen as the main antagonist, and is more of an obstacle that Dorothy has to face on her journey, even though it is the main confrontation in the novel.
The Wicked Witch of the West holds Dorothy hostage in order to acquire the silver shoes, forcing her to do “unpleasant tasks not unlike those demanded in other fairy tales” (Cashdan 1999 p. 233), such as cleaning. After she steals one of the silver shoes, the Witch is melted when Dorothy throws a bucket of water at her out of anger.
Baum’s character also exists to develop other characters. For example, the Lion fiercely roars at the Witch when she opens the cage she is keeping him in, and he “directly challenges the Witch’s authority” (Cashdan 1999 p. 234), displaying courage he believed he lacked. This shows that although her appearance is short, the Wicked Witch of the West is an important character, and is necessary to further the story.
THE WIZ
Featuring an all African American cast, The Wiz is a film based on the Broadway musical of the same name. The Wicked Witch of the West is named Evillene, and is a slave lord of a sweat shop located in the sewers.
This version features the most dramatic departure from the well know physical description of the character. Evillene is overweight, wears a colourful dress that has small random objects attached to it, and has eye balls on her crown, potentially a reference to the telescopic eye that Baum’s original character has.
The character can be considered to “wholly evil, demonstrated by her actions, her appearance, and even her name itself” (Burger 2012 p. 62), even more so than her predecessor. Evillene is violent toward her employees, and tortures Dorothy and her companions, something the character from the 1939 film only really threatens to do.
The Wiz stands out as one of the only reversionings that does not follow the Wicked Witch of the West archetype that has become so famous. In addition, Evillene also sings in the film, something that the character from the 1939 film does not do.
However, rather than deepening the audience’s understanding of her, Evillene’s “distinctive singing style . . . distinguishes her from the other characters” (Boyd 2010 p. 107), making it clear that she is the villain of the story.
WICKED: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WITCHES OF OZ
In 2003, Maguire’s novel was turned into a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. The musical loosely follows the plot of the novel, but is much lighter and family friendly.
Elphaba is depicted as a youthful, more beautiful version of the Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film, with green skin, black clothing, and a broomstick. Like the novel, her green skin is a large plot point.
In the musical, Elphaba is considered to be truly good, compared to the character in the novel who could be quite violent. She is labelled wicked by the Wizard of Oz when she learns the truth about the oppression of animals, and she is forced to embrace this label in order to fight for animal rights.
Her singing ability important to the character’s development, as it lets the audience to hear her private emotions and thoughts, which “inspires an emotional connection between character and audience” (Boyd 2012 p. 106).
As well as a personality transformation, Elphaba also goes through a physical transformation over the course of the musical. In act one, her makeup is simple, displaying her naivety and innocence. For act two, the makeup is much more mature and complex, which represents the personality transformation she goes through.
Elphaba from the musical Wicked is without a doubt the most famous version of the Wicked Witch of the West since the 1939 film, but also is the perfect main character for a Broadway musical: it is based on something familiar to audiences, but tells a new story
THE WIZARD OF OZ
MGM’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz features the most famous version of the Wicked Witch of the West, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton. The role of the Witch is greatly expanded upon, and is now the main antagonist of the story, appearing many times throughout the film.
The Wicked Witch of the West in this film is the archetype for the majority of later reversionings. She has green skin, wears black clothing, and carries a broomstick, completely different to how the original character was depicted.
This version of the character was labelled the fourth greatest villain in film by the American Film Institute, because she “both compels and repels viewers”. The audience loves to hate her, and celebrates her death alongside the citizens of Oz.
The Witch’s green skin could be considered as an attempt to alienate the character even further than her actions do, tapping into the fear of the unknown, or “further Othering and demonizing her” (Burger 2012 p. 58). This is a common plot point in future reversionings.
WICKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST
The novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is the first reversioning of Baum’s novel that has the Wicked Witch of the West as the protagonist of the story.
The story starts with the birth of the character, named Elphaba, and finishes not long after she is melted by Dorothy. Maguire uses aspects from both the original novel and the 1939 film, as well as including some of his own ideas.
Elphaba has green skin, fitting the archetype of the character, and it is a large plot point in the beginning of the novel. Similar to the 1939 film, the colour of her skin alienates her, especially when she attends university.
Following many years of her life, the story shows how the Wicked Witch of the West is not truly evil, having been labelled that by society. She fights for the rights of oppressed animals, cares for her disabled sister, and even falls in love. However, she is not wholly good either: Maguire “highlights the multi-dimensionality of his heroine” (Burger 2012 p. 64), showing both her violent and charitable sides.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is an important reversioning, due to the character of the Wicked Witch of the West being the hero rather than the villain, as well as the character having a backstory.
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Disney released Oz the Great and Powerful, a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in 2013. In this film, the Wizard is at the forefront of the story, but the Wicked Witch of the West plays a large role.
Like Wicked, Oz the Great and Powerful explores the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, although in this film, she is genuinely evil. Theodora, as the character is known, is not initially evil, however.
In the beginning, she is portrayed as kind and naïve. It is not until her heart is broken by the Wizard that her wickedness begins to show, but she truly turns wicked when her older sister gives her a magic apple that will allegedly cure her heart break. The apple turns her skin green, and destroys all the goodness inside her.
The looks of the character once she turns wicked is very much based on the 1939 film: green skin, black clothing, and a flying broom stick. Theodora’s personality appears to be based on Wicked (the musical), before she turns wicked, and the 1939 film afterwards.
Oz the Great and Powerful is the first reversioning of the story that is a complete prequel, allowing for different storylines than the original novel, as well as the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West, something that has become popular due to Wicked.
It might be all black, but her costume is more elaborate than it first appears. Adrian designed two of the iconic hats, including one with a larger brim to exaggerate Hamilton’s shrinking figure during the melting scene. Both were constructed from black wool bunting fabric and had a shaped brim to make the witch seem more menacing; a diaphanous silk scarf that ties loosely round the base of the cone-shaped head-piece and trails behind the witch on her broomstick, also adds to the image of ‘evil’. The voluminous costume makes the Wicked Witch seem larger and more frightening than she is, and was likely inspired by historical dress. The fitted bodice has a corset lace detail which brings in the silhouette and exaggerates the leg-of-mutton sleeves and the puffed skirt. The witch also wears a small, crossbody pouch finished with some hanging tendrils that appear to resemble monkey tails. Occasionally she also wears a full length cape, although it’s hard to discern when due to the volume of fabric.
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Reviews for "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: Understanding the Original Wicked Witch of the West"
1. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars
I was really disappointed with the performance of the Original Wicked Witch of the West. Her portrayal felt cliché and lacked any originality. I felt like I had seen this version of the character a hundred times before, and there was nothing that stood out about her performance. The costume was also underwhelming, and it seemed like they didn't put much thought into creating a unique look for the character. Overall, I was not impressed with the Original Wicked Witch of the West and wouldn't recommend it.
2. John - 1 out of 5 stars
I have to say, the Original Wicked Witch of the West was a complete letdown for me. The actress seemed completely disinterested in her role, and it showed in her lackluster performance. The character felt one-dimensional and lacked any depth or complexity. The script didn't do her any favors either, as it was filled with predictable dialogue and tired tropes. Overall, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the Original Wicked Witch of the West and would not recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating and engaging portrayal of this iconic character.
3. Lisa - 2 out of 5 stars
I was really excited to see the Original Wicked Witch of the West, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The actress lacked the charisma and stage presence needed to bring this iconic character to life. Her delivery felt forced and unnatural, and I couldn't connect with her performance on any level. The overall production also left much to be desired, with lackluster set design and uninspired choreography. It's a shame because I had high hopes for this show, but it simply didn't deliver.