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The Nature of Evil
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Wicked, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gregory Maguire’s Wicked tells the story of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp, from her birth until her final, fatal moments with Dorothy Gale. The events of the novel illustrate that power—and perhaps the pursuit of it—is capable of turning one’s ideals and vulnerabilities alike into tools of domination. The novel suggests that the corrupting influence of power sustains itself through cycles of fear and exploitation; in the end, the oppressed are pushed so far that they often transform into oppressors themselves. For instance, Madame Morrible, a Shiz educator meant to nurture independent thought, instead functions as an agent of the Wizard’s regime, feeding propaganda to her students and attempting to bind Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose into lifelong service as spies. Her willingness to murder Doctor Dillamond—a professor on the verge of disproving the Wizard’s justification for Animal oppression—exposes such power’s reliance on suppressing the truth. Over the course of the novel, Oz grows into a surveillance state, leaving Elphaba perpetually paranoid and unsure of who she can actually trust.
The novel also examines how power fundamentally changes those who suddenly gain it. Nessarose, for example, begins as a devout and moralistic figure, dismissing sorcery as sinful. Once she ascends to the role of Eminent Thropp in Munchkinland, however, she abandons her principals, ruling with cruelty and wielding magic carelessly simply because she can. Her death is met with celebration, a sign of how thoroughly power alienates rulers from those they are meant to serve. The Wizard is perhaps the strongest example of this cycle. Later revelations in the novel suggest that he, an Irishman, came to Oz from the United States during a time when the Irish were actively persecuted and oppressed. Once a victim of extreme prejudice, he assumes control of Oz and goes on to perpetuate systemic violence against its most vulnerable citizens. His oppression of groups like Animals and the Quadlings mirrors, and even exceeds, the injustices he once faced. He rapes Melena and unknowingly fathers Elphaba, leaving a personal imprint of this corruption on the Witch’s own life, tying her existence to exploitation and abuse of power that she neither chose nor condones. Wicked argues that power in Oz is self-perpetuating, and it thrives on fear, propaganda, and violence. Even those with good intentions cannot wield power without risking becoming what they once opposed.
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Power and Oppression ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Power and Oppression appears in each chapter of Wicked. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
How often theme appears:
chapter length:
Chapter
Prologue: On the ...
Pro
1. The Root of Evil
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2. The Clock of t...
2
3. The Birth of a...
3
4. Maladies and R...
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5. The Quadling G...
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6. Geographies of...
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7. Child’s Play
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8. Darkness Abroad
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9. Galinda
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10. Boq
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11. The Charmed C...
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12. City of Emeralds
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13. The Voyage Out
13
14. The Jasper Ga...
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15. Uprisings
15
16. The Murder an...
16
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Power and Oppression Quotes in Wicked
Below you will find the important quotes in Wicked related to the theme of Power and Oppression.
Prologue: On the Yellow Brick Road Quotes
“She’s a despot. A dangerous tyrant,” said the Lion with conviction.
[...] “I hear she’s a champion of home rule for the so-called Winkies.”
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In the Prologue, Elphaba spies on Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Woodman, and the Scarecrow as they gossip about her past. As the first scene readers encounter in the novel, this exchange establishes an important piece of the story outright: the way gossip shapes reputation, often distorting and exaggerating the truth to the point that it is unrecognizable. From the beginning, readers see that Wicked is less about whether Elphaba is “good” or “bad,” and more about how others come to define her. The novel begins this way in order to set up—so that it can later deconstruct—Elphaba’s “wicked” reputation. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui si
1. The Root of Evil Quotes
“We stand at a crossroads. Idolatry looms. Traditional values in jeopardy. Truth under siege and virtue abandoned.”
He wasn’t talking to her so much as practicing his tirade against the coming spectacle of violence and magic. There was a side to Frex that verged on despair; unlike most men, he was able to channel it to benefit his life’s work.
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On the morning of Elphaba’s birth, Frex obsesses over what he sees as society’s decline: people abandoning religion for spectacle, embodied by the traveling Clock of the Time Dragon show. While Melena braces herself to deliver their first child, Frex is more invested in fighting “idolatry” than in supporting his wife. To him, the rise of theater and pleasure-seeking signals a society turning its back on the Unnamed God. Of course, on the very day Frex rails against magic and false idols, a green-skinned daughter is born to him—literally in a crawl space within the Clock of the Time Dragon Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet
4. Maladies and Remedies Quotes
“But I remember once when a tinker with a funny accent gave me a draft of some heady brew from a green glass bottle. And I had rare expansive dreams, Nanny, of the Other World—cities of glass and smoke—noise and color—I tried to remember.”
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When Melena discusses the night she drank from the green glass bottle, she hints at a violation she can’t fully remember. The “tinker” with the strange accent gave her a drug that left her dazed and unable to recall what happened afterward. Though she stops short of saying it outright, the implication is clear: she was raped. This moment, buried in her memory and clouded in uncertainty, later becomes one of the novel’s most significant revelations: this stranger was the Wizard, and he is Elphaba’s biological father. When Elphaba later drinks from the same green bottle of “Miracle Elixir,” she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempor
8. Darkness Abroad Quotes
“Horrors,” she said again, looking without binocular vision, staring at the glass in which her parents and Nanny could make out nothing but darkness. “Horrors.”
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This passage occurs as toddler Elphaba is found outside in the arms of a large, unidentifiable creature, murmuring “horrors” while holding Turtle Heart’s looking glass. That her first word is “horrors” foreshadows what will eventually become her life’s mission: identifying, confronting, and fighting against injustice. Elphaba alone can “read” the glass, an early sign of her innate magical ability and the sorceress she will grow into. Through the glass, she foresees the fall of the ruling Ozma line and the arrival of a foreigner who will rise as a “cruel and mighty” king. Readers later learn this is the Wizard, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis.
9. Galinda Quotes
She was, after all, on her way to Shiz because she was smart.
But there was more than one way to be smart.
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On the train to Shiz, Galinda thinks about herself with vanity and unearned confidence. She knows she is “smart,” though in this moment the word applies as much to her attractive appearance as to her intellect. The second line in this passage is a play on words, invoking two meanings of the word “smart”—both clever and well-dressed—and suggesting that Galinda doesn’t yet know which kind of smart will matter more in her life. That uncertainty becomes central to her story, as she learns there are indeed many ways to be powerful, and not all of them look like Elphaba’s. As Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi
Animals should be seen and not heard.
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When Madame Morrible hosts a poetry reading at Shiz, she’s merely using it as an excuse to spread the Wizard’s propaganda and indoctrinate students against Animals. One of the poems she reads aloud ends with this line, which is meant as a clever twist on an old saying (“Children should be seen and not heard”). But it is dehumanizing, as it reduces thinking, speaking Animals to the status of voiceless creatures. That Morrible recites these words at Shiz, where Animal professors like Doctor Dillamond are present, shows just how brazenly she wields the Wizard’s authority. She knows she’s insulated by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedi
She struggled with unnamed conflicts within her. Madame Morrible, for all her upper-class diction and fabulous wardrobe, seemed just a tad—oh—dangerous. [...] Galinda always felt as if she couldn’t see the whole picture.
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At the beginning of Galinda’s second semester at Shiz, she meets with Madame Morrible, who suggests she major in sorcery the following year, subtly guiding her hand. By this point, Galinda recognizes that, though Morrible may be ultra-stylish and say all the right words, she is not entirely trustworthy. For Galinda, who is obsessed with status and class, it’s especially important to learn the lesson that appearances can be deceiving—and with an antagonistic Headmistress like Morrible and a green-skinned but loyal roommate like Elphaba, it’s one she learns thoroughly. Galinda’s observation that she “couldn’t see the whole picture” is astute, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam
11. The Charmed Circle Quotes
“And the drought, after a few promising reprieves, continues unabated. The Animals are recalled to the lands of their ancestors, a ploy to give the farmers a sense of control over something anyway. It’s a systematic marginalizing of populations, Glinda, that’s what the Wizard’s all about.”
“We were talking about your childhood,” said Glinda.
“[...] You can’t divorce your particulars from politics.”
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When Elphaba recalls her childhood in Quadling Country with Glinda, her memories quickly turn into an indictment of the Wizard’s regime. She points out how droughts and forced resettlement have been used as tools of his control, with Quadlings and Animals systematically pushed aside so the Wizard could exploit their land, resources, and labor. For Elphaba, it is impossible to separate her politics from personal experience, and her point here is that nothing the Wizard has ever done was for the greater good. She’s witnessed injustice firsthand since her childhood—the oppression of marginalized groups in the name of “progress.” With Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi
“You ask yourselves: [...] How may my talents flourish? How, my dears, how may I help my Oz?”
Elphaba’s foot twisted, caught the edge of a side table, and a cup and saucer fell to the floor and smashed.
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In this scene, Madame Morrible has gathered Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose in her office to “discuss” their post-Shiz plans. During their meeting, the Head places the girls under a binding spell, one that renders them temporarily immobile and prevents them from discussing the meeting after the fact, even with one another. But this passage crucially reveals that Elphaba is at least partially resistant to the spell. She can’t speak or get up to leave, but she’s able to kick a table so forcefully that she shatters a cup, proof that the spell hasn’t been fully effective on her. Although Morrible Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia e
“If not immoral, then what word can I use to imply wrong?” said Elphaba.
“Try mysterious and then relax a little. The thing is, my green girlie, it is not for a girl, or a student, or a citizen to assess what is wrong. This is the job of leaders, and why we exist.”
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When Elphaba and Glinda travel to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard in person and confront him with Doctor Dillamond’s research, they’re met with outright condescension and scorn. In a plea to convince him to see reason, Elphaba calls the Wizard’s oppression of Animals “immoral,” but the Wizard claims he doesn’t care at all about morality. What matters to him is his own perceived genius—his air of “mystery” and the authority that comes with it. He refuses to take seriously the claims of either a young woman or a Goat professor, dismissing Dillamond’s work outright because it comes from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea.
12. City of Emeralds Quotes
“I was a tool. My dear father used me [...] he used me as an object lesson. Looking as I did, even singing as I can—they trusted him partly as a response to the freakiness of me.”
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Here, Elphaba recounts to Fiyero how the Wizard’s regime exploited Quadling land and people, and how she bore witness to it as a child while living in Quadling Country with her family. Frex, in his own way trying to help, used her to help persuade the Quadlings to convert to Unionism. He believed that if the Unnamed God could accept a green-skinned girl like Elphaba, then the Quadlings could also find salvation. To make this point, he put her on display, taking her beautiful singing voice—one of the few things about herself she believed was special and valuable—and using it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempo
“I love you so much, Fiyero, you just don’t understand: Being born with a talent or an inclination for goodness is the aberration.”
She was right. He didn’t understand.
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This moment between Elphaba and Fiyero occurs in tandem with conversations they often have about good and evil, and about how Elphaba doesn’t believe she has a soul. It highlights the central tension in their relationship: the way they perceive morality and human nature. Elphaba insists that goodness is not innate but an exception, and in framing goodness as unnatural, she implicitly suggests that cruelty, selfishness, and corruption are closer to the default state of existence. This aligns with her lifelong experiences—being othered, watching injustice play out against Quadlings and Animals, and seeing the gross manipulation of power in Oz. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque.
15. Uprisings Quotes
Nanny reported that Nessarose had grown to be far cleverer than anyone anticipated. She kept her cards close to her chest and issued vague statements about the revolutionary cause, statements that could be read several ways, depending on the audience.
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When Elphaba and Nessarose’s grandfather, the Eminent Thropp, dies, the title passes to Nessarose because Elphaba has gone into hiding and is presumed dead. The Eminent Thropp is the highest-ranking title in Munchkinland, one that carries considerable influence, but it’s a position that Elphaba never aspired to. (It’s also one that Melena never wanted for her children.) To Nanny, Nessa’s “vague” public statements about revolution are deliberate, allowing Nessa to maintain control of her image while strategically obscuring her future plans for Munchkinland. Ultimately, this passage foreshadows Nessa’s eventual conversion into a tyrant whose power depends on secrecy and manipulation. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. El
“But Nessa now thinks she needs no one, to help her stand or help her govern. She listens less than ever. In some ways I think those shoes are dangerous.”
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This passage occurs as Elphaba visits her father and sister in Munchkinland for the first time in many years. Frex confides in her about Nessarose’s increasingly unstable behavior, claiming that the shoes he once gifted her—the ones Glinda later enchanted to help the armless Nessa walk around on her own—have become “dangerous.” For Frex to speak ill of Nessa in any capacity reflects the seriousness of his concerns, as Nessa has always been his favorite child. His comment that she “needs no one” speaks to her growing political arrogance. In his eyes, the shoes have given her a sense of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi sol
Perhaps Nessie was right. And yet here they were, a dozen years later, two Witches, in a manner of speaking. And Glinda a sorceress for the public good. It was enough to make Elphie go back to Kiamo Ko and burn that Grimmerie, and burn the broom too, for that matter.
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After years of separation, Elphaba and Nessarose reunite at Colwen Grounds in their adulthood, and Elphaba uses the opportunity to ask her sister whether she recalls their last meeting with Madame Morrible at Shiz. Elphaba has never been able to let go of the meeting, for it has always had a lingering impact on her psyche and made her feel as though she were being covertly controlled from afar. She’s desperate to know if Nessa and Glinda feel the same way. But Nessa insists Morrible had no “real” power, and that her words were merely intended to scare the three Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaqu
16. The Murder and Its Afterlife Quotes
“I’m no pawn,” said Glinda. “I take all the credit in the world for my own foolishness. Good gracious, dear, all of life is a spell. You know that. But you do have some choice.”
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When Elphaba confesses that she’s always felt like a pawn, never certain of whether she makes choices of her own volition or if she’s being controlled by forces larger than herself without her knowledge, Glinda makes it clear she disagrees. Both women were once placed under Madame Morrible’s binding spell and pressured into serving the Wizard, but they emerged from that experience in very different states. For Elphaba, it heightened her paranoia and sense of powerlessness. For Glinda, however, her confidence in her own agency survived intact. This contrast speaks to one of the novel’s central questions: is personal choice Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tene
“People who claim they’re evil are usually no worse than the rest of us.” He sighed. “It’s people who claim that they’re good, or anyway better than the rest of us, that you have to be wary of.”
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After Nessa dies, Elphaba pays Boq a visit in Munchkinland. It’s their first reunion since she left Shiz, and she tells him that she has begun to call herself the Wicked Witch of the West, since “wicked” is the label society has always assigned to her. But Boq’s response effectively cuts to the heart of Wicked: those who call themselves evil are often less dangerous than those who hide behind the guise of goodness. Elphaba has never pretended to be any better than she is—in fact, she’s spent her whole life believing that she was far worse. Boq, however, remembers Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui e
Elphaba, who had endured Sarima’s refusal to forgive, now begged by a gibbering child for the same mercy always denied her? How could you give such a thing out of your own hollowness?
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This passage, which occurs moments before Dorothy unwittingly kills Elphaba with a bucket of rainwater, reflects one of the most pivotal reversals in Wicked. Elphaba has spent her life circling forgiveness, longing for it but rarely receiving it. Sarima’s refusal to forgive Elphaba for Fiyero’s death only solidified a truth she had long before internalized: that she is undeserving of grace. Now Dorothy, a child who has stumbled into Oz and unwittingly killed Nessarose, turns to Elphaba in desperation, asking for the very thing that Elphaba herself has been denied. The irony is clear: the Wicked Witch, defined by others as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto volu
