It is my firm belief that the Wicked Witch is actually not a villain at all - in fact, it is my assertion that Glenda is the true villain - and I feel that close attention to the details of the movie prove my point. The Wicked Witch has been villified because she is less than attractive and because she was an assertive woman who wanted what was rightfully hers and would not be bullied by others. Glenda was threatened by the Wicked Witch and her power and she was also threatened by the Munchkins love for Dorothy and their hero worship of her for getting rid of their enemy the Wicked Witch of the East (a feat Glenda herself had never managed to accomplish).
Here is my evidence from the movie:
- The ruby slippers were lawfully the Wicked Witch's to begin with....they belonged to her sister and legally should have passed on to her. And yet, Glenda immediately takes them (unlawfully) and puts them on Dorothy (even though she knows that this will immediately make Dorothy a target & that she will have to be killed in order for the Wicked Witch to retrieve her shoes.) Notice Glenda did not take the shoes for herself because she was afraid of the wrath of the Wicked Witch (WW).
- Glenda's second move is to send Dorothy out of Munchkinland where she is perfectly safe (remember in the movie - Glenda said to the WW that she has NO power in Munchkinland) and sends her toward Oz where she will be an easy target for the WW.
- So, now we have Dorothy out alone on an unfamiliar road in an unfamiliar land wearing shoes that were stolen from someone else. The WW has many chances to kill Dorothy (in the forest for one), but she does not do so; instead she just tries to frighten her into giving back the shoes. When the WW has Dorothy in the castle and Dorothy does indeed offer up the shoes, the WW is willing to just take them back, but it is then that she remembers that she has to kill her in order to get them.
- Even when faced with the realization that she must kill Dorothy, the WW does not do so - because she does not want to - instead she sets a timer trying to postpone the inevitable but horrifying task or quite possibly to try to find another solution.
So, it is my assertion that the Wicked Witch only wanted her property back and most certainly did not relish the idea of having to kill someone to get it. Glenda on the other hand, took what was not hers, put another innocent party in mortal danger, and sent an innocent party out of a perfectly safe place and into a dangerous one for no good reason (she could have sent her home at any time or let her stay in Munchkinland). Why would she do this? She had the perfect win-win situation. She wanted rid of Dorothy because the Munchkins were worshipping her and she had proven herself more powerful/successful/popular than Glenda so she sent her out hoping the WW would kill her. However, she also knew that if Dorothy was successful and managed to kill the WW and escape harm's way, then Glenda still benefitted because her enemy the WW would be gone (a feat she could not accomplish) and Dorothy would also be gone because the Wizard would send her home.
Therefore, my conculsion is that Glenda is considered "good" because she is prettier, more feminine, talks softer, and appears more loving (although in a very phony, self-serving, self-righteous way). The Wicked Witch is considered "evil" because she is not too attractive, looks different than the norm, is louder, and refuses to be taken advantage of. This is all too indicative of the double standard in our society today which seems to think that pretty equals good and that assertiveness in women is the equivalent of being a word very similar to witch. Rise up Wicked Witches and be proud of who you are - strong, up-front, self sufficient, confident women!!!
