Wicked Witch of the West

"I'll get you, my pretty- and your little dog too! HAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA!"

- The Wicked Witch of the West to Dorothy Gale and Toto.

The Wicked Witch of the West was Dorothy's arch-nemesis and the main antagonist in the 1939 classic film, The Wizard Of Oz. She was portrayed by actress Margaret Hamilton who also portrayed her "reality" counterpart Miss Almira Gulch.

Appearance
In the classic movie, the Wicked Witch was stooped, green-skinned, and dressed entirely in black. In many people's minds, this representation of The Wicked Witch has become an archetype for human wickedness, as well as a stereotype for the "witch" character in popular culture.

History
While this relationship is not mentioned in Baum's books, in the movie, the Witch is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East, who is killed when Dorothy arrives in Oz. The Witch asks aloud, "Who killed my sister?" (except with more calculation than sorrow). As a result, The Wicked Witch of the West's role is made more prominent as she seeks revenge against Dorothy for killing her sister. When Dorothy claims the death was an accident, the Witch of the West replies, "Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents too."

It is from this movie that popular culture gets the oft-quoted phrase, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"

Her other motivation is to get the powerful Ruby Slippers (changed from the Silver Shoes of the book). She often, but not always, flies on a broomstick, and has a crystal ball through which she can see happenings elsewhere.

Her lackeys are the Flying Monkeys and the Winkie Guards. The Flying Monkeys kidnapped Dorothy and Toto, taking them to the Wicked Witch's castle. The Wicked Witch of the West locked Dorothy in a room of the hourglass, but Toto escaped, barking for help to the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The three friends disguised themselves as Winkie Guards and rescued Dorothy. But just as the four friends were about to escape, The Wicked Witch of the West sent her Winkie Guards to chase after the heroes. When Dorothy and her friends were surrounded by guards, The Wicked Witch of the West set the Scarecrow on fire. Then Dorothy noticed a bucket of water, and tossed it to extinguish the fire on Scarecrow, but also splashed some on the Wicked Witch. As a result, the Wicked Witch met her end when she melted to death.

In an old episode of Sesame Street, the Wicked Witch comes looking for her broomstick and when Big Bird takes it, he promises to give it back if she promises to turn nice. However, all of Sesame Street (except for Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch) fears her. The Wicked Witch of the West is also famously featured in the book and theatrical production Wicked, which explores her past and portrays her as a tragic character, while the Wizard is the true villain. Here, she is given the name "Elphaba", a pun on the name L. Frank Baum.