Aahana Swrup
Adapting Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s stage musical, the fantasy film ‘Wicked’ presents a vibrant and vivacious adventure set in the magical land of Oz. This Jon M. Chu film follows the characters of Elphaba and Galinda, two witches of high caliber whose paths cross at Shiz University. While Galinda is the resident popular girl with a bubbly personality, Elphaba remains largely scorned and misunderstood by her peers due to the green coloring of her skin. Even so, as the two individuals are forced to room together, a deep friendship eventually forms between them.
However, once the unlikely pair embark on a journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, unpredictable forces drive a wedge between the two and hark in a new age for Ozians. The story charts a dynamic tale of friendship and betrayal, which brings the titular Wicked Witch of the West to a startling conclusion in her quest for acceptance. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Wicked Plot Synopsis
The story begins with a scene from the future, where the Ozians celebrate the Wicked Witch’s death. As Glinda, the Good Witch, makes an appearance, the citizens confront her about the rumors of her friendship with the other witch, compelling the former to share Elphaba’s story. Elphaba is born to Governor Thropp and his secretly unfaithful wife. From the time of her birth, her father shuns her for her green skin and leaves her to be brought up by the animated animal nannies around the house. Shortly afterward, Thropp had another daughter, Nessrose, of whom he grew infinitely protective, partly due to her paraplegia.
As a result, after the two sisters grow older and the time comes for Nessarose to pursue higher education at Shiz University, Thropp compels Elphaba to accompany her. On the other hand, Galinda Upland also arrives at Shiz, establishing her charismatic standing from the get-go. Initially, as the other teachers and students come across Elphaba, they are horrified by her green-ish appearance. Nonetheless, by then, the young woman has dealt with others’ prejudices enough to combat them swiftly. On her part, Galinda attempts to extend her pity towards the other, which invites the crowd’s awe and Elphaba’s ire.
Although Elphaba’s presence at the University was only supposed to be for Nessrose’s sake, an altercation leads the former’s magic to burst out accidentally. Fortunately enough, Madame Morrible—the professor of Sorcery Studies, highly sought after, especially by Galinda—steps in and offers the young woman a spot at Shiz with private tutoring. Morrible recognizes the potential in Elphaba and sees the possibility of her talent getting her an audience with the Wizard. This immensely pleases the young woman, who dreams of acceptance and companionship from the Wizard, as well as a remedy for her green skin.
Consequently, a misunderstanding leads Elphaba and Galinda to become reluctant roommates. Initially, the two get off on the wrong foot, constantly annoyed with each other’s presence. While Galinda—with her perpetual need to be liked—remains passive-aggressive, Elphaba often directly challenges her. This becomes most evident during the class of Dr. Dillamond, the only animal professor on the faculty. Eventually, the arrival of Fiyero Tigelaar, a Winkie Country prince and newest student, shifts the air at Shiz. He’s a rule-breaking heartthrob who immediately catches Galinda’s attention. After he convinces a group of students to break the rules and visit the off-campus Ozdust Ballroom, it orchestrates an opportunity for Galinda and Elphaba to bond, mostly due to the former’s guilt in the face of the latter’s kindness.
Therefore, the two roommates become close friends. Things escalate afterward when Dillamond announces that the Shiz has fired him, barring animals from becoming professors in their institution. As the authorities take him away, a different professor arrives to present his new experiment of keeping animals in cages. Elphaba’s horror at the scene causes her to inadvertently put everyone—except Fiyero—to sleep through poppy seeds. As such, the pair joins forces to free the encaged lion cub. This instance also serves as an efficient moment for Morrible to realize the weight of Elphaba’s powers. Consequently, soon enough, the Green Witch receives an invitation from the Wizard to the Emerald City.
Wicked Ending: Why Does the Wizard Need Elphaba?
In Oz, the Wizard exists as a revered figure, symbolic of hope, progress, and more. Everyone wants his audience in Emerald City, but only a few gain it. Therefore, Elphaba is ecstatic from the start when Morrible offers the possibility of the same. After being ridiculed and ostracized her whole life, the young woman believes a partnership with the Wizard would solve many of her problems. She believes that if she’s standing next to the amicable Wizard, the same people who have shunned her will show her newfound compassion. Her talent will finally be recognized, and people will be able to look past her green skin.
In turn, as Morrible tells it, the Wizard could use her incredible skills. Throughout the story, Elphaba is the only character—save for Morrible—who is actually able to perform magic. Despite her future title as the Good Witch, even Galinda can’t seem to squeeze out any magical powers. Inversely, the other student’s abilities are hard to ignore, marking their unique nature. Morrible notices the same and begins tutoring her in the art of honing her magic. The professor believes Elphaba’s powers can help out the Wizard in his various endeavors to better Oz. Eventually, once her pupil’s progress satisfies her enough, Morrible arranges for a trip to the Emerald City.
On the day of her train ride, Elphaba ends up inviting Galinda—who now goes by Glinda in a show of performative solidarity for Dillamond— to accompany her to visit the Wizard. Thus, the two arrive for a day out at Emerald City, where they are granted an audience with the Wizard. The meeting with the Wizard is as magical as expected at first, with him introducing his utopic dreams for Oz. His easy inclusion of Elphaba in those dreams exhibits a sense of moving acceptance. However, before they can establish a partnership, the young witch must prove her abilities.
The Wizard and Morrible present Elphaba with The Grimmerie—a cherished spellbook. She picks out a transformational spell from the book when told about the dreams of levitation that one of the monkey guards possesses. Yet, once she successfully completes the enchantment—to everyone’s wonder— she realizes the spell is actually hurting the money, forcing it to grow painful wings. Nevertheless, neither the Wizard nor Morrible seem bothered by the face. Instead, they’re gleeful at the prospect of utilizing flying monkeys as spies. As a result, Elphaba comes to the horrifying realization that the Wizard actually wants to use her for his own nefarious ends.
When Elphaba challenges the Wizard to perform a spell from the Grimmerie, he can’t because he doesn’t actually possess any powers. Therefore, he relies on gimmicks and tricks. Similarly, while Morrible does possess some magical abilities, they’re not nearly potent enough to decipher the power in the spellbook. For the same reason, they are hoping to exploit Elphaba for her magical prowess to bring their own plans to fruition. However, once the young witch learns about the Wizard’s menacing plans, she can’t possibly bring herself to agree with them.
What is Affecting the Animals in Oz? Why Are They Losing Their Ability to Speak?
Through Dillamond’s character, Elphaba and the audience gain an insight into the socio-political standing of the animals in Oz. Years ago, the animals in Oz shared the same rights as their human counterparts, and they were allowed to engage in and contribute to academics, science, art, and culture. In contrast, the animals are now seeing a concerningly speedy downfall, with the population’s prejudiced fear growing by the day. The same results in hate speech graffitied in Dillamond’s class days before the University fired him from his position.
Since the Ozians are growing afraid of the animals, they are suppressing their voices—figuratively and literally as the animals are losing their ability to speak. Likewise, they want to keep the animals in cages. Dillamond and the others can sense that this radical change is coming from an outside malevolent influence, and Elphaba believes that she can stop this by working with the Wizard. Nonetheless, to her horror, she realizes the Wizard is behind the scheme. He believes that the only way to bring the people of Oz together and heal their inner differences is to provide them with a shared enemy. Thus, he has chosen to target the animals.
Elphaba has found nothing but compassion and companionship in animals from the start. Due to the green color of her skin, she has had to deal with consistent fear, ridicule, and pity from the Ozians. For the same reason, she refuses to support the Wizard in his war against the animal population. In turn, her refusal to comply makes her an inevitable enemy in the Wizard’s path. As a result, once Elphaba tries to run away with the Grimmerie, he and Morrible quickly announce her as a wicked witch and an enemy of the Oz.
Why Does Elphaba Flee With the Grimmerie? Why Doesn’t Glinda Follow?
Once the Wizard’s reality—or rather his lies—becomes evident to Elphaba, she realizes that she cannot allow him to go forward with his plans. She wants to fight back against him. Stealing the Grimmerie is the first step towards her brewing rebellion. By stealing the spellbook, Elphaba can ensure she has a way to fight back against the Wizard while also robbing him of a possible advantage.
Elphaba has been oppressed and ostracized her entire life due to an inherent trait about herself. As such, unlike Glinda, her reaction to the Wizard’s indiscretions toward the animals is much more severe. While Glinda also recognizes the Wizard’s evil, she doesn’t have the same fiery opposition to it as her friend. Meanwhile, Elphaba has reached the end of her limits and is prepared to go against convention in her righteous fight. Initially, Glinda easily follows the other witch when she tries to fly away on a hot air balloon.
Glinda trusts Elphaba and is willing to follow her blindly. However, as their attempt is foiled, it gives her the time actually to evaluate her actions. Where Elphaba is on the offensive, prepared to go against the Wizard, Glinda can’t say the same for herself. Unlike her friend, she realizes that her path toward rebellion would have to be more subtle and quiet in order to achieve its highest potential. Whereas Elphaba will prosper by throwing away the Wizard’s games and playing by her own rules, Glinda—magicless and relatively powerful within the status quo—can only do her best from within.
For the same reason, Glinda chooses to stay behind once Elphaba’s magic allows her and her broom the powers of levitation required to make her escape. From here, the journeys of the two witches split. Elphaba will use her rebellious nature to bring actionable change in Oz with the help of the Grimmerie. Comparatively, Glinda will stay back with the Wizard and Morrible, growing under their influence to gain enough power to fight for her beliefs. As such, after crafting the story of their friendship, the story ends with a bold depiction of the glaring dissimilarities between the two witches.
Read More: Where was Wicked (2024) Filmed?
