The "Song of the Evil Witch from the West" is a powerful and haunting melody that tells the tale of a wicked sorceress and her dark reign. This song, filled with chilling verses and a haunting chorus, serves to captivate listeners and transport them into the eerie world of the evil witch. The main idea behind the song is the portrayal of the evil witch and the atmosphere of darkness and malevolence that surrounds her. Through the lyrics of the song, the listeners are drawn into a world filled with black magic, sinister spells, and a sense of foreboding. The lyrics of the song paint a vivid picture of the witch's wickedness and her lust for power. The verses describe her wicked deeds, her cackling laughter, and her relentless pursuit of control over the world.
VOICE
As the 1939 film is a musical, a fair amount of the story is told through song, with the Wicked Witch of the West being one of the only main characters who does not sing. This is something Gregory Maguire wanted to explore in his novel: “If we had heard her sing . . . could we have stayed quite so terrified of her?” (Maguire 2014). In Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba sings at a funeral, and is described as having a good voice. This is expanded upon through the Broadway musical Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, where the character sings in a fair amount of the songs.
Elphaba’s ability to sing “humanizes her and gains audience sympathy” (Boyd 2010 p. 110) by sharing her emotions and private thoughts through song, something the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film does not have the chance to do. The lack of singing ability “reduces her . . . to a one-dimensional character” (Boyd 2010 p. 106), one the audience sees as evil, because most of the good characters can sing.
The musical Wicked is not the only reversioning where the Wicked Witch of the West sings, although it is the only one where the Witch is the protagonist. The song the Witch sings in The Wiz, “No Bad News”, does not particularly contribute to the development of the character.
However, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2011 West End musical based on the 1939 film, a new song is created for the Wicked Witch of the West. “Red Shoes Blues” reveals the Witch’s motives behind her desire to obtain the ruby slippers, advancing her character development and deepening the audience’s understanding of her. This was potentially inspired by the success of the musical Wicked.
Image retrieved from Wicked Wikia: http://wicked.wikia.com/wiki/Defying_Gravity?file=Tumblr_m9wuxz9kYe1rfph73o1_500.png
Baum s original character is quite tame in comparison to later versions, and there s no clear indication that she desires to see harm come to Dorothy Edwards Klosa 2009 p. Baum s original character is quite tame in comparison to later versions, and there s no clear indication that she desires to see harm come to Dorothy Edwards Klosa 2009 p.
The verses describe her wicked deeds, her cackling laughter, and her relentless pursuit of control over the world. Each line serves to emphasize the sense of danger and fear that the witch instills in those who oppose her. The chorus of the song serves as a warning to all who dare to cross paths with the evil witch.
Song of the evil witch from the west
With every new adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West always looks different. Some reversionings have the character looking or acting similar to previous ones, others are completely new. Below is a discussion of three of the Wicked Witch of the West's main attributes.
GREEN SKIN
One of the key physical attributes of the Wicked Witch of the West is her green skin. The unique colour of her skin is her main identifier, allowing characters from the world of Oz, as well as the audience, to instantly recognise her. Baum’s original character did not have green skin, and was described as an old woman with three pigtails and one eye. However, the 1939 film reinvented the character, giving her green skin, possibly due to the film’s use of Technicolor.
The majority of reversionings have the character with green skin, although there are a few that decided against it, for example The Wiz. In reversionings such as Wicked (both the novel and the musical) and Oz the Great and Powerful, the character’s green skin is a large part of the plot.
In the 1939 film, although her actions certainly make her the villain, it’s her physical attributes that cause characters to view her as wicked. Her green skin, warts, and overall ugliness frighten the citizens of Oz: “she’s wicked because she looks wicked” (Bremer 2009 p. 13). Good Witch Glinda even states that “only bad witches are ugly”. If the Wicked Witch of the West was as beautiful as Glinda, she may have been less feared, even with her actions.
VOICE
As the 1939 film is a musical, a fair amount of the story is told through song, with the Wicked Witch of the West being one of the only main characters who does not sing. This is something Gregory Maguire wanted to explore in his novel: “If we had heard her sing . . . could we have stayed quite so terrified of her?” (Maguire 2014). In Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba sings at a funeral, and is described as having a good voice. This is expanded upon through the Broadway musical Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, where the character sings in a fair amount of the songs.
Elphaba’s ability to sing “humanizes her and gains audience sympathy” (Boyd 2010 p. 110) by sharing her emotions and private thoughts through song, something the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film does not have the chance to do. The lack of singing ability “reduces her . . . to a one-dimensional character” (Boyd 2010 p. 106), one the audience sees as evil, because most of the good characters can sing.
The musical Wicked is not the only reversioning where the Wicked Witch of the West sings, although it is the only one where the Witch is the protagonist. The song the Witch sings in The Wiz, “No Bad News”, does not particularly contribute to the development of the character.
However, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2011 West End musical based on the 1939 film, a new song is created for the Wicked Witch of the West. “Red Shoes Blues” reveals the Witch’s motives behind her desire to obtain the ruby slippers, advancing her character development and deepening the audience’s understanding of her. This was potentially inspired by the success of the musical Wicked.
Image retrieved from Wicked Wikia: http://wicked.wikia.com/wiki/Defying_Gravity?file=Tumblr_m9wuxz9kYe1rfph73o1_500.png
PERSONALITY
Through many reversionings, the Wicked Witch of the West’s personality changed immensely. Baum’s original character is quite tame in comparison to later versions, and there’s “no clear indication that she desires to see harm come to Dorothy” (Edwards & Klosa 2009 p. 38), although she is still considered to be wicked.
The 1939 film expands the role of the Wicked Witch of the West greatly, evolving her personality along with it. The character is much more wicked than she is in Baum’s novel, threatening the lives of Dorothy and her companions frequently. While her motivations are not explicitly stated, the Witch’s “motivation appears to be nothing more than naked power” (Edwards & Klosa 2009 p. 38), reinforced by her cruel actions when attempting to acquire the ruby slippers.
The Wiz takes this cruelty even further, with the Wicked Witch of the West portrayed as a “sadistic tyrant and probable cannibal” (Burger 2012 p. 63). Evillene, as the character is known as, is the slave lord of an underground sweat shop, and brutally tortures Dorothy and her companions.
The Wicked Witch of the West receives the most dramatic personality change, however, in Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as the Broadway musical it inspired. In both, the character, known as Elphaba, is the protagonist in the eyes of the audience, although many characters see her as evil. Wicked explores how the character became known as wicked, but also portrays her as a compassionate animal rights activist, though she does have flaws, “shifting between violence and charity” (Burger 2012 p. 64).
The musical is a lot lighter than the novel, therefore so is the character. She is still compassionate and charitable, but her relationships are at the forefront of the story, particularly her friendship with Glinda. Past reversionings of the character are not shown to have any positive relationships at all, for example the character in the 1939 film. The ability to love makes both versions of Elphaba stand out amongst the rest, who are mostly considered to be pure evil.
Theodora from Oz the Great and Powerful may be the exception to this. She is not initially evil, and falls in love with the Wizard of Oz, similar to how Elphaba falls in love with Fiyero in both versions of Wicked. Eventually, her heart is broken by the Wizard, and her sister gives her a magic apple that will supposedly cure her, but instead it turns Theodora’s skin green and takes away all the good in her heart, making her evil. Compared to Wicked, Theodora’s character development is quite weak, however , Theodora actually becomes wicked , while Elphaba is simply labelled that by society , a clear difference between the two characters.
The evolution of the Wicked Witch of the West’s personality is just as important , possibly more important, than her physical evolution, due to reversionings such as Wicked.
PERSONALITY
It is a reminder of the consequences of crossing her, as she is depicted as a malicious force that cannot be defeated easily. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that the witch's power is unstoppable and that her sinister presence looms over all who encounter her. In addition to the lyrics, the melody and instrumentation of the song also contribute to its eerie and haunting atmosphere. The music is carefully crafted to create a sense of suspense and tension, further enhancing the listener's experience and deepening their immersion in the world of the witch. Overall, the "Song of the Evil Witch from the West" is a compelling piece of music that transports listeners into a world of darkness and malevolence. Through its chilling lyrics and haunting melody, the song effectively communicates the wickedness and power of the evil witch, leaving listeners with a sense of awe and trepidation..
Reviews for "A Chorus of Darkness: The Chilling Legacy of the Witch's Song from the West"
1. Emily - 2/5 stars - I have to admit, I was really disappointed with "Song of the evil witch from the west." The plot was weak and predictable, and the characters lacked depth. It seemed like the author was trying too hard to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere, but it came off as forced and cliché. The writing style was also quite dry and lacked creativity. Overall, it just wasn't an enjoyable read for me.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - I couldn't even finish "Song of the evil witch from the west." The story was confusing and overly complicated. The author introduced too many unnecessary subplots and characters, making it difficult to follow and keep track of what was happening. The pacing was also extremely slow, and nothing seemed to be happening even halfway through the book. I felt like I was wasting my time reading this and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "Song of the evil witch from the west" had so much potential, but it fell flat for me. The world-building was interesting, but the execution was poor. The descriptions were overly detailed and dragged on, making it hard to stay engaged. The dialogue was also awkward and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
4. Tom - 2/5 stars - I found "Song of the evil witch from the west" to be quite underwhelming. The writing style was dull and lacked emotion. I struggled to connect with the characters and was never invested in their journey. The plot also felt disjointed and unoriginal, lacking any surprises or twists. Overall, it was a forgettable read that didn't hold my attention. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a die-hard fan of witch-themed stories.