The Sinister Beauty of the Evil Witch of the West Sketch: A Close Examination

By admin

The Evil Witch of the West sketch is a comedic portrayal of the infamous character from "The Wizard of Oz". The sketch takes traditional elements of the story and portrays them in a lighthearted and humorous manner. **The main idea of the sketch is to provide a fresh and entertaining take on a well-known character.** The Evil Witch of the West is depicted as a clumsy and bumbling villain, constantly tripping and accidentally casting spells on herself. This comedic twist on the character adds a new dimension to the story and allows audiences to see the witch in a different light. The sketch also incorporates clever wordplay and witty dialogue, further enhancing the comedic aspect.


Entry: Wicked Drawing

Everyone recognizes its plot an innocent girl from Kansas falls into the Land of Oz, accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, meets a mostly charming cast of characters, and escapes the evil-doings of the Wicked Witch of the West, all to get back home to Kansas. Frank Baum in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz introduced readers to the Wicked Witch of the West, a character so cruel that her name became synonymous with evil.

Evil witch of the west sketch

The sketch also incorporates clever wordplay and witty dialogue, further enhancing the comedic aspect. Through the sketch, the audience is able to laugh at the witch's misfortunes and enjoy a lighter portrayal of a classic villain. Overall, the Evil Witch of the West sketch brings humor and a fresh perspective to a beloved character, making it an entertaining addition to any performance or show.

Wicked Drawing

This simple drawing by author Gregory Maguire depicts the Wicked Witch of the West, Oz supervillain and subject of a modern retelling of the classic story.

The Wizard of Oz is a popular story known throughout the world. Everyone recognizes its plot: an innocent girl from Kansas falls into the Land of Oz, accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, meets a mostly charming cast of characters, and escapes the evil-doings of the Wicked Witch of the West, all to get back home to Kansas. It's a classic tale of good versus evil. Or is it? What if the story were told from the Wicked Witch's perspective?

Written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz introduced readers to the Wicked Witch of the West, a character so cruel that her name became synonymous with evil. The 1939 movie (starring Judy Garland) made the Witch even scarier, with green skin, a cackling voice, and a pointy hat. Her flying monkey minions and Winkie guards did nothing to soften her image.

Wicked

The Witch maintained an evil persona until 1995, when author Gregory Maguire gave her a reprieve. Influenced by the political turmoil of the Vietnam era, Maguire was curious about how people determined if someone was good or bad. Did a negative outcome make a person bad, even if his intensions were good? Maguire set out to study this question through the character of the Wicked Witch. The result was a book entitled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

In his original books, Baum had given the Witch no origin story and no name. By contrast, Maguire's book tells her story from birth to death and bestows on her the name Elphaba. As a child and teenager, Elphaba--with her green skin and savage nature--is an outsider among both her family and peers. As an adult, she becomes a political activist and joins a resistance movement against the Wizard of Oz, whom she sees as a tyrant. While her actions are meant to help a repressed people, they often have a negative outcome, making Elphaba appear wicked. The Wizard of Oz sees her as a threat, and it's in his best interest to turn the public against her. Maguire's book presents the Witch as mischaracterized rather than simply evil.

Though Wicked wasn't an instant bestseller, it gained in popularity and was adapted into a hit Broadway musical. The Wicked Witch has become an icon for some, representing a person who tries to improve society and a misfit who recognizes what she has to offer.

Maguire sketched this depiction of Elphaba in 2010 when a Kansas Historical Society staff member contacted him to acquire materials related to the book or musical for the collections. Because he felt he had nothing of interest, Maguire created this drawing of the Witch and donated it to the collections of the Society's Kansas Museum of History in 2010.

Listen to the Wicked Drawing podcast

Entry: Wicked Drawing

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: December 2010

Date Modified: December 2014

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.

Submit Kansapedia content

We invite you to send further details about existing articles or submit articles on other topics in Kansas history.

Kansas Memory

Our online collections contain more than 500,000 images of photos, documents, and artifacts, which grows daily. Find your story in Kansas through this rich resource!

Related Content

  • Christmas Cartoon
  • Editorial Cartoon
  • Pogo Comic Strip
  • Abner Crossman
  • Addison Morton (Mort) Walker
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Evil witch of the west sketch

.

Reviews for "Painting with Shadows: The Haunting Presence of the Evil Witch of the West Sketch"

1. Jane - 2/5 stars - I found the "Evil witch of the west sketch" to be rather underwhelming. The humor felt forced and the jokes were predictable. The performance lacked energy and the timing was off. Overall, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend it.
2. Michael - 1/5 stars - I really didn't enjoy the "Evil witch of the west sketch" at all. It felt like a cheap imitation of better comedy sketches. The writing was lazy and relied on tired stereotypes. The whole thing was just cringe-worthy and not at all funny.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - The "Evil witch of the west sketch" fell flat for me. The concept had potential, but the execution was poor. The acting was unconvincing and the punchlines were weak. I expected better from this comedy group and was left disappointed.
4. Robert - 1/5 stars - I have to say, the "Evil witch of the west sketch" was a complete waste of time. I didn't find it funny at all and it failed to hold my interest. The jokes were stale and the delivery was lackluster. I wouldn't recommend this sketch to anyone looking for a good laugh.
5. Emily - 2/5 stars - Unfortunately, I didn't find the "Evil witch of the west sketch" amusing. The humor felt forced and the actors seemed uncomfortable in their roles. The writing lacked wit and originality, making it a forgettable and disappointing experience for me.

Capturing Evil: Exploring the Evil Witch of the West Sketch's Artistic Techniques

The Dark Side of Art: The Symbolism in the Evil Witch of the West Sketch