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 classic books

In The Oz Books, the Wicked Witch is the one witch in Oz that the Wizard of Oz is afraid of. She rules the Winkie Country in the western part of Oz. When young Dorothy is dropped in Oz by a cyclone, The Wizard promises to help her return to her home in Kansas if she and her ragtag group of friends kill the Wicked Witch. Dorothy, the brainless Scarecrow, the heartless Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion journey toward her castle and are attacked by wolves, crows, bees, and her Winkie slaves. Dorothy and her companions defeat each threat, but are eventually subdued by the Winged Monkeys that the Wicked Witch commands through the power of the "Golden Cap." Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion are carried to the Wicked Witch's castle. However, The Wicked Witch can't kill Dorothy because the girl is protected by the Good Witch of the North. The Witch tricks Dorothy into tripping over an iron bar and, in anger, Dorothy throws a bucket of water onto the Wicked Witch and causes her to melt.

Related Topics:
The Oz Books - Wizard of Oz - Winkie Country - Dorothy - Cyclone - Kansas - Scarecrow - Tin Woodman - Cowardly Lion - Wolves - Crow - Bee - Winkie - Good Witch of the North

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W.W. Denslow's illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz depict the Wicked Witch as a paunched old woman wearing an eyepatch; her good eye gave her the visual powers of a telescope.

Related Topics:
W.W. Denslow - Eyepatch - Telescope

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