Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a
parallel novelThis is a partial list of works of fiction that are written within, or derived from, the framework of another work of fiction by another author. This list does not include franchised book series', which are typically works licensed by the publisher of the original work to use its settings and...
published in
1995The year 1995 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea is opened by Jimmy Carter....
. It was written by
Gregory MaguireGregory Maguire is an American author. He is the author of the novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and many other novels for adults and children...
and illustrated by
Douglas SmithDouglas Smith began his broadcasting career with the BBC European Service in 1946 and later worked as an announcer and newsreader on the Home Service and the Third Programme...
. Based upon the writings of
L. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author, poet, playwright, actor and independent filmmaker, best known today as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American children's literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
and seven authors after him who continued writing the book series, it is a
revisionistIn fiction, revisionism is the retelling of a story or type of story with substantial alterations in character or environment, to "revise" the view shown in the original work. Unlike most usages of the term revisionism, this is not generally considered pejorative...
look at the land and characters of
OzOz is a fairy country containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fairy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, best known from Baum's 1900 novel
The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. It was originally published by the George M...
and the 1939 film
The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical / fantasy film directed mainly by Victor Fleming from a script by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, and others and based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum...
.
It is the first in the Wicked Years series and the basis for the
Broadway musicalBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
WickedWicked is a Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End musical, with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. The story is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a parallel novel of L...
. A sequel, titled
Son of a WitchSon of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
, was published in fall of 2005. A third novel,
A Lion Among MenA Lion Among Men is the third novel in Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years and was released in the UK on October 2, 2008, and on October 14, 2008 in the US....
was released in October 2008.
Overview
The novel presents events, characters and situations from Baum's books and the film in new ways, with many differences between the series and the Wicked Years. These differences arise from the original Oz functioning as a mirror-image of Kansas in a cultural and economic framework: Oz was wealthy, prosperous and had excellent agricultural yields while Kansas was characterized by economic hardship, environmental difficulties and poor harvests. The social strife described in the Wicked Years indicates that the two series are set in similar and internally consistent but distinctly separate visions of
Oz.
Unlike the popular 1939 movie and Baum's writings, this novel is not directed at children, and contains mild adult language and content.
An
unabridgedAbridgement or abridgment is a term defined as "shortening" or "condensing" and is most commonly used in reference to the act of reducing a written work, typically a book, into a shorter form...
audiobook, read by John McDonough, was released in 2000.
Plot summary
The novel is a political, social, and ethical commentary on what good and evil really are. It takes place in The
Land of OzOz is a fairy country containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fairy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, in the years leading to Dorothy's arrival. The story centers on
ElphabaElphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and we know little about...
, the misunderstood green-skinned girl who grows up to become the notorious
Wicked Witch of the WestThe Wicked Witch of the West is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The character also figures prominently in the classic 1939 movie based on Baum's book...
. Gregory Maguire fashioned the name of Elphaba (pronounced EL-fa-ba) from the initials of Lyman Frank Baum, L-F-B. The story is divided into five different sections.
Munchkinlanders
Elphaba is born to
Melena ThroppMelena Thropp is a fictional character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. She is the mother of Elphaba , Nessarose , and Shell...
, the granddaughter of the Eminent Thropp of
MunchkinlandMunchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins," and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
, and
FrexsparFrexspar is a fictional character in Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
, an itinerant unionist minister. Frex is the
seventh son of a seventh sonThe seventh son of a seventh son is a concept from folklore regarding special powers given to, or held by, such a son. The seventh son must come from an unbroken line with no female children born between, and be, in turn, born to such a seventh son...
, and the sixth pastor in his family. Melena married lower than her family's social standing and is unhappy in her marriage. She is known to have many other men in her life. Though it does not become clear until much later, Melena is at some point approached by a mysterious stranger, who gives her a potion from a green bottle. He seduces her and nine months later she gives birth to a child,
ElphabaElphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and we know little about...
, inside a device called The Clock of the Time Dragon, as her husband is attacked by a lynch mob. (The Clock of the Time Dragon is regarded as a religious relic by followers of the "pleasure faith," and recurs as a significant image throughout the novel.)
Melena's husband, Frex, believes the baby is a punishment from the Unnamed God for failing to protect his parishioners, and has Melena's Nanny brought from the Colwen Grounds to take care of the child. In addition to her skin being green, the baby is born with unnaturally sharp milk teeth. Her head is strapped to keep her from biting herself and everything around her, she is also terrified of water.
About a year and a half later, a traveling
QuadlingThe Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
glassblower named Turtle Heart visits the home of Melena and Frex. Melena offers him food and drink, and Turtle Heart blows a beautiful glass reflecting ball for
ElphabaElphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and we know little about...
. With Frex absent for extended periods, preaching to the Munchkinlanders, Turtle Heart and Melena begin a secret affair. When Frex returns, he befriends Turtle Heart (seemingly ignorant of the relationship between the Quadling and his wife), out of both unionist charity (Quadlings, after all, "ranked about as low on the social ladder as it was possible to get and still be human"), religious zeal (Quadlings have no concept of religion, so Frex sees Turtle Heart as a potential convert) and an attraction to Turtle Heart of his own.
At the end of the first part, Melena is pregnant with a child, Elphaba's younger sister
NessaroseNessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. She is the spoiled younger sister of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West...
. It is unknown whether the father is Frex or Turtle Heart. Nessarose, or "Nessa" for short, is born as peach/normal as Elphaba is green and, more importantly, she is disabled. Born without arms, she requires constant supervision and care. Nessarose embraces Frex's zealotry and, thus, she is her father's favorite, to Elphaba's lasting angst. At the close, young Elphaba has a premonition of terrible things to come as a mysterious red balloon arrives in Oz.
Gillikin
The second part opens on a train to Shiz, a city in southwestern Gillikin. Two of the train's passengers,
Doctor DillamondDoctor Dillamond is a character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical and West End theatre musical Wicked which is based on Maguire's novel. In both versions, Doctor Dillamond is a...
and Galinda, are bound for
Shiz UniversityShiz University is a fictional university in Gregory Maguire's revisionist novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Shiz also appears in Stephen Schwartz's Wicked, the hit Broadway musical based on the book....
. Upon arrival, Dillamond retreats to his professors' quarters and Galinda heads off to Crage Hall, the women's university.
Having lost her chaperone, Ama Clutch, during the train ride to Shiz (Ama Clutch stepped on a rusty nail and stayed behind for medical treatment), Galinda has no one to represent her in the Ama's roommate negotiations. Refusing to bunk with the common girls in the group dormitory (the Pink Dormitory), Galinda is forced to room with Elphaba, who is now seventeen years old. Galinda and Elphaba do not get along very well. Elphaba, being green, is not interested in socializing, and Galinda, descended from the noble Arduenna Clan of Gillikin (though only on her mother's side), is more interested in climbing the social ladder than becoming friends with her outcast roommate. Later though, Galinda (after having a fight with her new friends) decides to mock Elphaba by making her wear a hat that she was sure Elphaba would look hideous in. When Elphaba looks pretty in the hat, Galinda says so, partly horrified that she talked to the "green girl." They start talking about evil and Elphaba teaches Galinda how to think. Galinda and Elphaba attend Dillamond's biology lectures. Doctor Dillamond is a sentient Goat, and part of a minority of talking Animals (distinguished in the book through capitalization) that hold civil rights equal to humans. Dillamond informs the class that, under the despotic reign of the Wizard of Oz, Animals are being discriminated against, treated like regular (non sentient) animals and, in some cases, forced to return to the fields. Dillamond's fears that Animal discrimination is becoming widespread are seemingly confirmed by
Madame MorribleMadame Muriel Morrible is a fictional character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on Maguire's novel. She is the wicked headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz...
(nicknamed "Horrible Morrible" by Elphaba), the Headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, who holds a
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
soiree that turns out to be nothing more than a forum for her propagandizing:
Animals should be seen and not heard. Elphaba is drawn to the Animal rights movement early on and she later becomes Dillamond's secretary and lab assistant.
Elphaba becomes friends with a
MunchkinMunchkins are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and wear only blue....
boy named
BoqBoq is a minor character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked, which purports to show the lives of some of Baum's characters from another perspective, and more prominent still in the Broadway musical Wicked...
, who develops a crush on Galinda. As she is a tall Gillikinese, and he is a short Munchkinlander, she rebuffs him. He hopes his friendship with Elphaba will bring him closer to Galinda; however, he ends up becoming wrapped up in Elphaba and Dillamond's cause. However, their friendship is shaken when Doctor Dillamond is murdered while on the verge of a great discovery about the genetic similarities between humans and Animals; Galinda's chaperone Ama Clutch witnesses Madame Morrible's wind-up servant Grommetik kill Dillamond, but she is magicked into a false
stuporStupor is the lack of critical cognitive function and level of consciousness wherein a sufferer is almost entirely unresponsive and only responds to base stimuli such as pain. The word derives from the Latin stupure, meaning insensible...
to keep her quiet. Galinda is wracked with guilt over what has happened to Ama Clutch, but it is the murder of Doctor Dillamond that has the most profound impact on her. In his memory, Galinda adopts Dr. Dillamond's mispronunciation of her name, Glinda, and throws herself into her studies, having settled on a course of study in
SorcerySorcery may refer to:* Magic * Maleficium * Witchcraft-See also:* Sorcerer * Sorcery , an album by Kataklysm* Sorcery , an album by Jack DeJohnette...
, at Madame Morrible's insistence. Glinda and Elphaba become close friends. Boq's crush on
GlindaGlinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, although a fairy in later books, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel...
eventually subsides, and they all become friends with a
VinkusThe Winkie Country is a division of the fictional Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color yellow which is worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings....
Prince named
FiyeroFiyero is a character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on the novel. He is a Vinkus prince who attends Shiz University, and eventually falls in love with Elphaba...
, a quiet boy who speaks little English but draws attention by his strange customs and pattern of blue diamond tattoos all across his body, who is new to Shiz, and Elphaba's sister,
NessaroseNessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. She is the spoiled younger sister of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West...
, who is called up to Shiz, ostensibly to bring a new chaperone for Glinda and Elphaba, Nanny. Frex sends his favorite child a "back-to-school" gift, a pair of shoes covered with hand-blown glass beads. Meanwhile, Elphaba carries on Doctor Dillamond's research in secret.
Over time, Ama Clutch's condition deteriorates and, when it is clear that she is about to die, Glinda tries to use
magicMagic, sometimes known as sorcery, is the practice of consciousness manipulation and/or autosuggestion to achieve a desired result, usually by techniques described in various conceptual systems...
to bring her out of her stupor. Her lucidity briefly restored, Ama Clutch tells Glinda that she witnessed Grommetik kill Doctor Dillamond, which he could only have done on the order of Madame Morrible. After Ama Clutch's funeral, Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose are almost convinced by Madame Morrible to become silent pawns of the Wizard, so-called "ambassadors of peace": Elphaba will go east, to Munchkinland; Glinda will go further north in Gillikin; Nessarose will go south, to Quadling Country, with no one going west because few people lived there. While Elphaba is reluctant to accept this position, Glinda is entranced. When they try to discuss the situation with one another, they find they can't, because they are bound by a spell that prevents them from discussing Morrible's proposition. Unwilling to remain silent, Elphaba decides that something must be done.
She and Glinda travel to the
Emerald CityThe Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.-Fictional description:...
, where they meet the
Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz, known during his reign as Oz the Great and Powerful, is the epithet of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs , a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L...
and plead the case of the Animals. He dismisses their concerns out of hand, and Glinda and Elphaba have no choice but to return to Shiz. However, Elphaba stays behind and sends Glinda back to college, after saying that she cannot see her again; she has decided to take matters into her own hands.
City of Emeralds
Almost five years have passed since Elphaba has seen
GlindaGlinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, although a fairy in later books, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel...
,
BoqBoq is a minor character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked, which purports to show the lives of some of Baum's characters from another perspective, and more prominent still in the Broadway musical Wicked...
, or any of her friends from college. She lives in the Emerald City now, and is secretly involved in the movement to help free the Animals and get rid of the Wizard of Oz.
FiyeroFiyero is a character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on the novel. He is a Vinkus prince who attends Shiz University, and eventually falls in love with Elphaba...
, now a Prince and with children, comes to the
Emerald CityThe Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.-Fictional description:...
to settle business with the politicians there. He sees Elphaba praying to a likeness of St. Glinda.
Fiyero follows her to her home, and they reconnect. He discovers she has started to take up magic, and tells her that Nessa has taken a class in sorcery, and Glinda is now a sorceress, and that they miss Elphaba. She and Fiyero begin to have an illicit love affair, and he neglects his wife Sarima, and his children, Irji,
ManekManek is the son of Fiyero and Sarima in Wicked by Gregory Maguire. His character is a trouble-maker and frequently engages in licentious activities. For instance, he tricks his brother, Irji, and Elphaba's implied son, Liir, to urniate off the wall as a sport while his sister, Nor, is watching...
, and
NorNor is a fictional character in the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and its sequels Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men, all written by Gregory Maguire. Nor is the daughter of Fiyero and Sarima and is often described as a small, skinny and dark girl with a big smile...
. The two lovers are at peace, and despite their occasionally conflicting personalities, Elphaba is actually happy with her life for once.
Her life changes one night, when she can finally fulfill her task: kill
Madame MorribleMadame Muriel Morrible is a fictional character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on Maguire's novel. She is the wicked headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz...
. Fiyero follows her, but she cannot complete her task due to a group of children interfering with Elphaba's line of fire. He returns to her apartment to wait for her, where the Gale Force, the Wizard's secret police force who are looking for Elphaba, attack him. He is kidnapped, hauled away and assumed murdered. Elphaba escapes from the City, and runs to a mauntery, where she meets an elderly woman named Yackle, formerly the dame of the Philosophy Club. Yackle takes the now homeless Elphaba, turned mute from grief after Fiyero's murder, under her wing.
In the Vinkus
Having been unconscious for almost a year, and then a nun for six more years, Elphaba goes to the
VinkusThe Winkie Country is a division of the fictional Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color yellow which is worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings....
, the land where Fiyero was prince, and meets his wife and children. Elphaba brings along a boy named
LiirLiir is a supporting character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the protagonist of its sequel, Son of a Witch. In the latter novel, he uses the names "Liir Thropp" and "Liir Ko."The two novels contain revisionist portrayals of the Land of...
, to whom she claims no relation, and stays at the castle
Kiamo KoKiamo Ko is the ancestral home of Fiyero, the Prince of the Arjiki tribe, in both the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, and Wicked the Musical. It located is in the Vinkus, and it is where Elphaba lives at the end of the book/musical and is where...
for a year and a half or so. She attempts to tell Sarima,
FiyeroFiyero is a character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on the novel. He is a Vinkus prince who attends Shiz University, and eventually falls in love with Elphaba...
's wife, of their affair, but Sarima refuses, saying she does not want to talk about her late husband. Fiyero's family, Elphaba, and Liir unexpectedly become a family unit, and are joined by Nanny after some time. While staying at the castle, Elphaba also discovers a mysterious book of spells which she calls a '
GrimmerieThe Grimmerie is a fictional book of spells in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men. The book also appears in the musical Wicked...
', and begins to study its contents. However, when
ManekManek is the son of Fiyero and Sarima in Wicked by Gregory Maguire. His character is a trouble-maker and frequently engages in licentious activities. For instance, he tricks his brother, Irji, and Elphaba's implied son, Liir, to urniate off the wall as a sport while his sister, Nor, is watching...
, one of Sarima's sons, convinces Liir during a game of hide and seek to hide in a well and leaves him there, Liir nearly dies, and Elphaba's anger at Manek makes an
icicleAn icicle is a spike of ice formed when water dripping or falling from an object freezes. Typically, icicles will form when ice or snow is melted by either sunlight or some other heat source , and the resulting melted water runs off into an area where the ambient temperature is below the freezing...
fall on him and kill him. The experience makes Elphaba realize that she has motherly feelings for Liir, but she finds that her newfound warmth is not reciprocated. Liir claims that while in the well a Fish told him he was Fiyero's son.
Sarima becomes upset and grieves, and the family starts to fall apart. Elphaba gets a letter from her father Frex, asking her to come help him with
NessaroseNessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. She is the spoiled younger sister of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West...
, who has taken Elphaba's position of Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland. When she arrives, he asks her to help him talk to Nessa, whom Elphaba discovers has become a witch, called the
Wicked Witch of the EastThe Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his classic books. Her name is Sally. Although not verifiably seen , the 1939 film helped to further the popularity of the character. The Witch is the ruler of Munchkin Country...
. Elphaba leaves after Nessa promises to give Elphaba the infamous
ruby slippersThe Ruby Slippers are the magical shoes worn by Dorothy in the 1939 MGM movie The Wizard of Oz. In the film, Dorothy acquires the slippers after her house falls on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the Munchkins from the Witch's tyranny...
after she dies (Glinda enchanted them to allow her to walk without help). When she returns, she finds everyone gone except Nanny. Nanny explains that the soldiers who were staying in the house made everyone in the town leave except for her.
The Murder and its Afterlife
A storm visits Munchkinland, dropping a house on Nessa, killing her. The house contains a young girl named
DorothyDorothy Gale is a fictional character, the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum and best friend of Oz's ruler, Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels. She also is the...
and a dog named Toto. Glinda, who was nearby, sent Dorothy off with Nessa's shoes for fear of potential civil war in Munchkinland and also for Dorothy's safety. She sent her to the Wizard in hopes that he could send her back to
KansasKansas is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind," although this was...
. Elphaba comes to the funeral for Nessa and is furious with Glinda for giving Dorothy the shoes, which were rightfully hers. She later has a meeting with the Wizard to bargain for the release of Nor, who was taken from Kiamo Ko by the Wizard's army.
On her way back to Kiamo Ko, Elphaba stops at Shiz to kill Madame Morrible, by bashing a trophy on her skull. However, because of Madame Morrible's appearance and lack of reaction, it is impossible to tell if Elphaba did kill her or if she had already died just a few minutes before Elphaba attacked her. At any rate, Elphaba decides to claim to have committed the murder and confess to Avaric. She comes upon the Clock of the Time Dragon, which puts on a special show for her. It shows the Wizard, and not Frex, to be her father.
Some time after returning to Kiamo Ko, Elphaba finds out that Dorothy and a few friends are headed to Kiamo Ko, presumably to kill her. When the friends are almost to the castle, Elphaba (who believed that the Scarecrow was her beloved Fiyero) sends her dog Killyjoy out to lead the friends to the castle. They misunderstand the group of dogs howling toward them and the Tin Woodman kills the dogs. The Scarecrow scares away the crows Elphaba sends next. Elphaba sends her bees, which are killed as well, and Elphaba is forced to believe the Scarecrow is what he seems-just a scarecrow. The shock of this revelation only serves to further unhinge her.
When Dorothy arrives, she tells Elphaba that the Wizard did indeed send her to kill the witch, but Dorothy herself came to apologize for killing her sister. Furious, Elphaba waves her now burning broom in the air and inadvertently sets herself on fire. Innocently, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her to save her, but instead the water kills her. Dorothy returns to the Wizard with the green potion bottle the wizard used to subdue Elphaba's mother during her conception. Dorothy does not bring back the Grimmerie because it was too heavy. Rumors abound through Oz about the whereabouts of Dorothy (and her irritating dog), few actually believing that she returned to Kansas. The Wizard plans his departure from Oz and his ensuing suicide. He, as it is predicted in Elphaba's dream after she takes the Miracle Elixer, tries to drown himself multiple times, and fails.
Characters
- Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and we know little about...
: The protagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, video game, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to share the most empathy...
of the book, Elphaba is a green-skinned girl who eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the WestThe Wicked Witch of the West is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The character also figures prominently in the classic 1939 movie based on Baum's book...
. She acquires this nickname more because of her sister's nickname (the Wicked Witch of the East, who was so named by her political opponents) than for any wicked deeds. An Animal rights activist, Elphaba is involved in an assassination attempt on Madame Morrible. She shares an illicit relationship with Fiyero, whose death causes her to abandon her revolutionary ideals. Elphaba's name is derived from sounding out the initials of Oz author L. Frank Baum'sLyman Frank Baum was an American author, poet, playwright, actor and independent filmmaker, best known today as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American children's literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
name.
- Galinda (later Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, although a fairy in later books, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel...
): Elphaba's roommate at Shiz UniversityShiz University is a fictional university in Gregory Maguire's revisionist novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Shiz also appears in Stephen Schwartz's Wicked, the hit Broadway musical based on the book....
. She hates Elphaba at first, but they later become close friends. It is heavily implied that she has romantic feelings for Elphaba as well, indeed, she cares deeply for her, and Elphaba for Glinda in return. However, the two are separated for twenty years when Elphaba goes into hiding. Glinda is part of the high society in GillikinThe Gillikin Country is the northern division of L. Frank Baum's land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color purple worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings.-Elements in Gillikin Country:...
, Oz's northern province. The Glinda in the book is parallel to her character in the musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
WickedWicked is a Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End musical, with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. The story is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a parallel novel of L...
, sometimes behaving in a snobby and mean fashion, whereas in The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical / fantasy film directed mainly by Victor Fleming from a script by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, and others and based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum...
, as well as in the original Oz Books, she is portrayed as kind and gentle.
- Nessarose
Nessarose Thropp is the name of the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. She is the spoiled younger sister of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West...
: Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the EastThe Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his classic books. Her name is Sally. Although not verifiably seen , the 1939 film helped to further the popularity of the character. The Witch is the ruler of Munchkin Country...
. Nessarose was born without arms, possibly as a side effect of the pills Melena took in order to save her next child from having green skin. Nessa is extremely beautiful, causing Elphaba to resent her both out of jealousy and because of her father's favoring Nessarose over Elphaba. As a gift, Frex sends Nessarose the jewelled shoes, which Glinda later enchants, giving Nessarose the ability to walk unaided. Nessarose inherits the title and role of Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland, as Elphaba was presumed dead. She is a devout unionist, and many Munchkins are unhappy under her rule. At the request of one of her subjects, Nessarose casts a spell which has the ultimate result of transforming a woodsman into tin. She is killed when Dorothy's house falls on top of her. It is heavily hinted that Nessarose is the illegitimate daughter of Melena and Turtle Heart, and not of Frex.
- Fiyero
Fiyero is a character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on the novel. He is a Vinkus prince who attends Shiz University, and eventually falls in love with Elphaba...
: The prince of the Arjiki tribe in the Vinkus. He meets Elphaba at Shiz, and later has an affair with her while she is involved in a resistance movement against the Wizard of Oz. This leads to his murder by the Gale Force, the Wizard's secret police.
- The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz, known during his reign as Oz the Great and Powerful, is the epithet of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs , a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L...
: A human who came to Oz from EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
in a hot air balloon. He was originally seeking the Grimmerie, but became sidetracked when he discovered he could orchestrate a coupA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
in Oz. It is heavily implied that he fathered Elphaba while her mother was under the influence of the Miracle Elixir, which may explain Elphaba's green skin, aversion to water, and occasional ability to read parts of the Grimmerie, which originated in the Wizard's world. He is also referred to by the name Oscar Zoroaster Diggs.
- Madame Morrible
Madame Muriel Morrible is a fictional character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical Wicked, which is based on Maguire's novel. She is the wicked headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz...
: The headmistressA head teacher, headteacher, head master or head mistress is the most senior teacher and leader of a school in the United Kingdom and elsewhere....
of Shiz University's Crage Hall, which Elphaba and Galinda attend. Elphaba and her friends suspect Morrible to be responsible for the murder of Dr. Dillamond. At one point, she proposes that Elphaba, Galinda, and Nessarose become future behind-the-scenes rulers in Oz, a proposal that they never willingly accept. Elphaba suspects that Madame Morrible has at least some magical powers, and may have indeed controlled the fates of the three women. It is possible that she spies on Elphaba and sends messages to LiirLiir is a supporting character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the protagonist of its sequel, Son of a Witch. In the latter novel, he uses the names "Liir Thropp" and "Liir Ko."The two novels contain revisionist portrayals of the Land of...
through the CarpCarp is a common name for various species of an oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. Some consider all cyprinid fishes carp, and the family Cyprinidae itself is often known as the carp family...
in the well at Elphaba's home in the Vinkus; the Carp dies at about the same time as Morrible. Morrible dies of natural causes minutes before Elphaba attempts to murder her.
- Doctor Dillamond
Doctor Dillamond is a character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical and West End theatre musical Wicked which is based on Maguire's novel. In both versions, Doctor Dillamond is a...
: A talking GoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
and professor at Crage Hall in Shiz. Assisted by Elphaba, Dr. Dillamond performs research on the differences between animals and Animals (sentient animals). He suspiciously dies from a slit throat; Madame Morrible claims that this is an accident, but her account is contradicted by Galinda’s chaperone, Ama Clutch, who claims to have witnessed the event.
- Boq
Boq is a minor character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked, which purports to show the lives of some of Baum's characters from another perspective, and more prominent still in the Broadway musical Wicked...
: A Munchkin who grew up with Elphaba and reunites with her at Shiz University. At first, he is only interested in talking to Elphaba in the hope that it will help him to gain the attention of his crush, Galinda. However, over time Boq and Elphaba become close friends and help Dr. Dillamond with his research, along with his college mates Crope and Tibbett. Later in life, Elphaba meets Boq while she is on the hunt for Dorothy along the Yellow Brick Road. He is now married to Milla, one of Glinda's friends from the University and the two have many children.
- Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character, the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum and best friend of Oz's ruler, Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels. She also is the...
: A 12 year-old girl who lands in Oz in her tornadoA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud...
propelled house, which crushes Nessarose. She takes Nessarose's shoes under the advice of Glinda. Many see these shoes as a symbol of power over Munchkinland. During her travels, many citizens of Oz are superstitious about her because of these shoes and her name: Her first name sounds like a reversal of the name of the "king" of her land (Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States. He is well remembered for his energetic persona, his range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" image. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Bull Moose Party...
). Because her name means "Goddess of Gifts" (the opposite of TheodoreTheodore is an English masculine given name. It comes from the Greek name Θεόδωρος meaning "gift of god"...
, "Gift of God"), it is implied that Dorothy may be the second comingIn most Christian theologies, the Second Coming of Christ is the return of Jesus from Heaven to earth, an event expected to fulfill aspects of Biblical Messianic prophecy, such as the general resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment of the dead and the living and the full establishment of the...
of LurlineQueen Lurline is a fictional character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and other authors....
, who was also known by that title. The Gale Force fear her for her last name. The Wizard sends Dorothy to kill Elphaba, but Dorothy's intention is to ask her for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba does not know whether to treat Dorothy with kindness or to fear her. When Elphaba demands the slippers, Dorothy pleads that, despite her best efforts, they will not come off. Dorothy accidentally kills Elphaba by pouring water on her in an attempt to put out a fire on Elphaba's dress.
- Liir
Liir is a supporting character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the protagonist of its sequel, Son of a Witch. In the latter novel, he uses the names "Liir Thropp" and "Liir Ko."The two novels contain revisionist portrayals of the Land of...
: A boy who leaves the mauntery with Elphaba for the Vinkus. It is strongly implied that Liir is the son of Elphaba and Fiyero. She does indeed admit that there is a year of her life she does not remember, during which she could have given birth to Liir. Extremely chubby, Liir plays with his supposed half-siblings while he and Elphaba stay with Fiyero's widow. At the end of Wicked it is stated that he intends to find a way of rescuing his half-sister NorNor is a fictional character in the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and its sequels Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men, all written by Gregory Maguire. Nor is the daughter of Fiyero and Sarima and is often described as a small, skinny and dark girl with a big smile...
from her slavery. He is also the protagonist of Maguire's sequel to Wicked, Son of a WitchSon of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
. In this book, Liir unknowingly impregnates a Quadling girl named Candle, which results in the birth of a green baby. This finally proves that Liir is the son of Elphaba and Fiyero. Gregory Maguire has described Liir as "Elphaba's son" in interviews. It's also revealed that Liir is bisexual.
- Yackle: A mysterious crone who appears frequently in Elphaba's life. Elphaba suspects that Yackle may be exerting control over her fate, and may be Kumbrica, the ambivalent goddess of Ozian myth. Her appearance is also reminiscent of a fiend called the "Yakal" which is pictured in the Grimmerie, implying that she may be a demon
In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as a malevolent spirit. In Christian terms demons are generally understood as fallen angels, formerly of God. A demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled...
. Nanny first mentions her as an old gypsyThe term gypsy was a common term used to describe Romani people or Travelers.-Etymology:The Oxford English Dictionary states that a gypsy is a...
woman from whom she bought the medicine, which would stop Melena’s second child being born green. Later, she appears as an old woman guarding the door to the Philosophy Club and later still, she appears as Mother Yackle, a maunt (a sort of Ozian nunA Nun, or also known as a Sister in some cases, is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
) at the mauntery (a unionist convent) who takes care of the homeless Elphaba. Yackle's story is more deeply explored in "A Lion Among Men," in which she is the secondary protagonist.
- The dwarf: This entity
An entity is something that has a distinct, separate existence, though it need not be a material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate...
claims to be an immortalImmortality is the concept of living in a physical or spiritual form for an infinite or inconceivably vast length of time....
sent to Oz to prevent the Grimmerie from returning to Earth. With his Clock of the Time Dragon, he seems to Elphaba to either be able to control fate or predict it.
- Grommetik: A tik-tok creature, servant to Madame Morrible. It is strongly implied that he is involved in a sinister plot orchestrated at least in part by his mistress. From what is described in the novel, he bears a similarity to Tik-Tok
Tik-Tok is a fictional character from the Land of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. He has been termed "the prototype robot," and is widely considered to be the first robot to appear in modern literature, though that term was coined after Baum's death....
, a character from Baum's original Oz series.
- Nanny: A member of the Thropp family, though whether by blood or employment is never explicitly revealed. By the conclusion of the book, she has raised three generations of the Thropps, most notably having acted as chaperone to Nessarose, Elphaba and Glinda during their years at Shiz. She is still vital well into her eighties. Her attitude reflects this, as she is stoic, speaks her mind, and holds to somewhat inflammatory 'Lurlinistic' pagan beliefs.
- Frexspar
Frexspar is a fictional character in Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
: Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's father (at least in the emotional and physical sense; whether he shares a genetic link with some of the children is questionable). Frex is a devout Unionist priestA priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
. Nessarose was his favorite child, and to her he gave the famous jeweled slippersThe Ruby Slippers are the magical shoes worn by Dorothy in the 1939 MGM movie The Wizard of Oz. In the film, Dorothy acquires the slippers after her house falls on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the Munchkins from the Witch's tyranny...
. It is implied that he is at least the father of Shell, as the Wizard of Oz is Elphaba's father, and it is heavily implied that Turtle Heart is Nessarose's father. He, along with Melena, was in a threesomeA threesome is a form of group sex involving three people of any gender combination.-Types:The level of sexual activity among the three members may vary greatly...
relationship with Turtle Heart.
- Chistery
Chistery is a character in Gregory Maguire's revisionist novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and in its Broadway adaptation, Wicked. He is one of the winged monkeys which serve Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West....
, Killyjoy, the BeeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, and the CrowThe true crows are large passerine birds that form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-sized jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on...
s: Animals which accompany Elphaba on the way to Kiamo KoKiamo Ko is the ancestral home of Fiyero, the Prince of the Arjiki tribe, in both the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, and Wicked the Musical. It located is in the Vinkus, and it is where Elphaba lives at the end of the book/musical and is where...
by coach, and which also become her familiars. The bees are taken along as a source of honeyHoney is a sweet food made by some insects using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
for the travelers, and it is suggested that through dormant magical talent, Elphaba unconsciously sets them upon the coach cook, whom she dislikes and who is later found stung to death at the edge of a cliffIn geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are...
. Killyjoy, the cook's dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
, takes an instant liking to Liir, who decides to keep him. Princess Nastoya gives the crows to Elphaba, who then specifically states that Elphaba is to send them to her if she needs help with anything. Princess Nastoya also tells Elphaba directly that they are to be her familiars. On the way to Kiamo Ko, they run across Chistery, an abandoned infant snow monkeyThe Japanese Macaque , also known as the Snow Monkey, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan, although an introduced free-ranging population has been living near Laredo, Texas since 1972. It is the most northern-living as well as the most polar-living non-human primate. In Japan,...
, whom Elphaba rescues through another unconscious act of magic (creating ice under her feet as she runs across a pond to save him from Killyjoy). Later in the book, Elphaba teaches him to speak, in hopes of completing Dr. Dillamond's study into the supposed connections between all lifeforms. In Wicked, he only manages to mimic what others say, although he gains the ability to speak in full, comprehensible sentences in Son of a WitchSon of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
. Elphaba sews wings onto the backs of him and the other monkeys, in a combination of Doctor Dillamond's studies and her own practice of magic, thus creating the winged monkeysWinged monkeys are characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, of enough impact between the books and the 1939 movie to have taken their own place in popular culture, regularly referenced in comedic or ironic situations as a source of evil or fear.In the original Oz novels, these were just what...
.
- Melena Thropp
Melena Thropp is a fictional character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. She is the mother of Elphaba , Nessarose , and Shell...
: Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's mother. Melena comes from a high-class family, and has mostly pagan traditions, which contradicts Frex's statements. She has very loose morals and dreams of her days as a pampered girl, despite her rebelling against it at the time. She has a taste for alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. An important group of acohols is formed by the simple acyclic alcohols, the general formula for which is C
nH
2n+1OH...
and pinlobble leaves.
- Avaric: A friend of Boq's and Galinda's. He is described as being the "perfect asshole." Late in the novel, Elphaba visits him, and they discuss the nature of evil
Evil, in many cultures, is a broad term used to describe what are seen as subjectively harmful deeds that are labeled as such to steer moral support. Evil is usually contrasted with good, which describes acts that are subjectively beneficial to the observer. In some religions, evil is an active...
with some of his friends.
- Crope and Tibbett: Two boys who attend Shiz University along with Boq. They later become members of the main group of friends that features in the second part of the book.
- Turtle Heart: A wandering glassblower from Quadling Country
The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
. He comes upon Melena's home while Frex is out preaching. Melena and Turtle Heart have an extended affair, and it is implied that Frex had intimate relations with him, as well, sharing him equally. It is also strongly suggested that he is the father of Nessarose; a family timeline at the beginning of "a Lion Among Men" lists Frex as father to both Nessarose and Shell. It is mentioned he was killed at Colwen Grounds, on the day of Nessarose's birth, as a human sacrifice to bring rain to Munchkinland. His death is what convinces Frex and Melena to travel to Quadling Country to convert people to Unionism.
- Ama Clutch: Galinda’s chaperone at Shiz, Ama Clutch is present throughout Galinda and Elphaba's time at the university. She "loses" her sanity in a suspicious fashion when she witnesses the murder of Doctor Dillamond. It is strongly suggested that Madame Morrible hexed Ama Clutch, afflicting her with the same crazed behaviour that Galinda (falsely) claimed was responsible for Ama Clutch's absence from the roommate negotiations; namely talking to inanimate objects as if they were people. Just prior to her death, Galinda magically restores Ama Clutch's sanity for a brief period, giving her the opportunity to reveal the truth about Doctor Dillamond's murder.
- Shell Thropp
Shell Thropp is a character in the fictional works Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men, by Gregory Maguire. He is the youngest of three children, and hinted to be the only child conceived from the marriage of Frexspar and Melena Thropp...
: Elphaba and Nessarose's younger brother. Their mother dies giving birth to him. Although he is never actually seen in the book, Elphaba says that he would have been their mother's favorite, because he was a boy. He plays a much larger part in the sequel Son of a Witch and is mentioned in A Lion Among Men.
Objects
- The Grimmerie
The Grimmerie is a fictional book of spells in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men. The book also appears in the musical Wicked...
(derived from 'grimoireA grimoire is a textbook of magic. Books of this genre, typically giving instructions for invoking angels or demons, performing divination and gaining magical powers, have circulated throughout Europe since the Middle Ages....
' and 'gramarye'): A book of magic that originated on Earth but was taken to Oz by a wizard to prevent it from being used for evil. It is sought by the Wizard of Oz, and is the reason he traveled to Oz. It ends up in the possession of Elphaba. While in the musical adaptation it is suggested that the Grimmerie is a sole book with no others of the same title, in Gregory Maguire's original Elphaba describes it as being 'a' Grimmerie, meaning that Grimmerie is probably an Ozian word for a book of magic and that it most likely has a more distinguishing title. The book is bound in black leather with worn, purple pages written upon in glittering silver inkAn ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for coloring a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush or quill...
.
- The Miracle Elixir: A bottle of potion that Elphaba keeps with her throughout her life. It was presented to Elphaba's mother once who took it and had bizarre dreams. It may have been the Wizard who gave it to Elphaba's mother and fathered Elphaba at that time. Elphaba takes some of the Elixir late in life and has many prophetic dreams. Some are so disturbing to her that she rarely sleeps for the rest of her life. This may contribute to her loss of wits near the end of her life. Dorothy takes this object to the Wizard as proof of Elphaba's death.
- The Clock of the Time Dragon: A traveling show, which contains many magicked tik-tok
Tik-Tok is a fictional character from the Land of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. He has been termed "the prototype robot," and is widely considered to be the first robot to appear in modern literature, though that term was coined after Baum's death....
puppets that act out prophetic scenes. At the top of the tower-like container that holds the show, there is a painted clock, hands perpetually at one minute to midnight and above that, a tik-tok dragon so lifelike as to strike awe in the hearts of all who see it. It is the center of the pleasure faith religion and is accompanied by the dwarf. Elphaba is born inside the Time Dragon, and receives the revelation that the Wizard is her father from the Dragon. Many of the characters in the Dragon's shows are later hunted down and killed or at least harassed, including Elphaba's parents and Turtle Heart.
- Looking-glass: A mirror made of green glass by Turtle Heart. This is one of the first toys Elphaba is given as a toddler, and she uses it in divination during her early childhood as well as just before her death.
- Broomstick: A flying broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibres attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
given to Elphaba by Yackle with the understanding that it was a part of her destiny.
- Bejeweled Slippers: Made by Yackle (technically, out of glass) and decorated by Frex using techniques learned from Turtle Heart. These were given to Nessarose shortly after she went away to school, making Elphaba jealous of their father's affections. They were later repaired and enchanted by Glinda, and become a major source of emotional, personal, and political conflict in the last part of the book. Elphaba is determined to get them back, but Dorothy finds that she is unable to remove them, wondering if Glinda had put a spell on them so they would not come off.
Film Adaption
A film adaptation is due to be made of the book and musical, Wicked. It was announced officially by the producers, however, little has been revealed such as the cast and crew.
External links