Wicked : The Message of Who Is Really Evil

     Most people know the popular musical Wicked but there is a trending film as of late that has gained lots of attention for its portrayal of the fan-favorite musical. Anyone who I have talked to who has watched the film has expressed their feelings of amazement for the new movie musical, and many people on social media have something to say about the underlying message of the movie and what it really means in our culture today. While I haven't seen the new movie yet, I know the plot of the musical and I have researched the new movie and what it represents. Some people think that Wicked is just a modern spin on the movie The Wizard of Oz, but the two are actually quite different. 

Wicked 2024 explores the dynamic of Glinda Upland (Glinda the Good) and Elphaba Thropp (The Wicked Witch of the West). The beginning of the movie starts with Glinda in Munchkinland where the munchkins celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West for her disdain of the government that leads the land of Oz. Glinda tells the story of the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and describes her upbringing with the old governor of Oz. She was outcasted by her family and by society due to her green skin and this caused Elphaba to have a troubled upbringing. Glinda recalls how she and Elphaba met at University where Elphaba attended so she would be able to grow in her magical abilities and hopefully meet the Wizard who might be able to change her skin color. Elphaba and Glinda become roommates and butt heads during most of their time living together. There, the two also meet Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat who teaches the history of Oz at the university and faces discrimination from the school. The school later places a ban on allowing animals to teach at the school. Elphaba and Glinda are upset about this decision by the school and when the Wizard personally invites Elphaba to the kingdom, her and Glinda hope to reconcile this with him. At the kingdom, Elphaba learns that it is actually the Wizard and his appointees who are behind the discrimination of the talking animals of the kingdom and leaves in horror as she eventually leads a revolution of her own against the tyrannical government. Glinda, in reluctance, does not join Elphaba as does not want to be on bad terms with the Wizard and the two have a falling out. It is from this that the kingdom names Elphaba "The Wicked Witch of the West".

There are many things we could unpack from the movie and what it means but from what I have learned this semester, it would be interesting to connect it to the trials in Salem. Like the story from the movie, a lot of women, or people who were ostracized in Salem were those who did not fit the traditional role in society. This could be seen in single women, widowed women, and those who did not speak out against other accused witches. The truth was considered a lie, and a lie was considered the truth. Speculation was seen as evidence and evidence was seen as conspiring with the devil. In Wicked, what made Elphaba evil was the fact that she stayed true to her values and was able to form her own opinions. Glinda lost a friendship and abandoned her values out fear of uprooting the values of the kingdom. Because Glinda did not join Elphaba, she was labeled "Glinda the Good". In the end, we see the irony of the use of "good" and "bad" in the movie and how people can be given labels based on what authority says. 

This comparison allows us to see the flaws and the humanity in us all and how people in power only get their power by the people who give it to them. Being aware of these flaws allows us to stop tyranny and avoid events that can be seen historically through the Holocaust, the Salem Witch Trials, the Red Scare, and countless others.