Wicked Witch of the West

The Wicked Witch of the West (or simply The Wicked Witch) is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's books. The character also figures prominently in the classic 1939 movie based on Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In these works, The Wicked Witch poses the biggest threat to Dorothy Gale, because she covets the magical pair of silver slippers (ruby slippers in the movie) which previously belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East and are now worn by Dorothy.

The 1939 movie

In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch, played by actress Margaret Hamilton, was tall, green-skinned, and dressed entirely in black. In many people's minds, this representation of The Wicked Witch has become an archetype for human wickedness.

Related Topics:
The Wizard of Oz - Margaret Hamilton - Archetype

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While this relationship is not mentioned in Baum's books, in the movie, the Witch is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East, who is killed when Dorothy arrives in Oz. As a result, The Wicked Witch of the West's role is made more prominent as she seeks revenge against Dorothy for killing her sister. It is from this movie where popular culture gets the oft-quoted phrase: "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"

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The Witch also has a counterpart in the Kansas world: a rich, grumpy old woman named Elmira Gulch who seeks to have Dorothy's dog, Toto, put down.

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