The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Baum's subsequent Oz books, it is the Nome King who is the principal villain; the Wicked Witch of the West is rarely even referred to again after her death in the first book.
The witch's most popular depiction was in the classic 1939 movie based on Baum's book. In that film adaptation, as in Gregory Maguire's revisionist Oz novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and its musical adaptation Wicked, the Witch of the West is the magic school roommate of the good witch Glinda, although this is neither stated nor implied in the original novel.
Read more about Wicked Witch Of The West: Classic Books By L. Frank Baum, Later Works
Famous quotes containing the words wicked witch, wicked, witch and/or west:
“The obvious parallels between Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz have frequently been noted: in both there is the orphan hero who is raised on a farm by an aunt and uncle and yearns to escape to adventure. Obi-wan Kenobi resembles the Wizard; the loyal, plucky little robot R2D2 is Toto; C3PO is the Tin Man; and Chewbacca is the Cowardly Lion. Darth Vader replaces the Wicked Witch: this is a patriarchy rather than a matriarchy.”
—Andrew Gordon, U.S. educator, critic. “The Inescapable Family in American Science Fiction and Fantasy Films,” Journal of Popular Film and Television (Summer 1992)
“There is something in age that ever, even in its own despite, must be venerable, must create respect—and to have it ill treated, is to me worse, more cruel and wicked than anything on earth.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“The witch turned as red
as the Jap flag.
Her blood began to boil up
like Coca-Cola.
Her eyes began to melt.
She was done for.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Any authentic work of art must start an argument between the artist and his audience.”
—Rebecca West (1892–1983)