Wicked Witch of the East

The Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his classic books. Although not seen (except for her feet), the famous 1939 movie helped to further the popularity of the character. The Wicked Witch of the East is the sister of the The Wicked Witch of the West.

The Classic Books

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the first of many Oz books) Dorothy Gale is blown into Oz by a cyclone. The young girl's house lands on top of the witch. The witch, who had been ruling over the Munchkins, is killed instantly with only her feet sticking out from under the house. The witch was wearing magical shoes (made of silver in the book) at the time of her death. Dorothy, on the advice of The Good Witch of the North, takes the shoes. These shoes have the power to transport anyone anywhere, simply by clicking the heels three times. Not knowing this, Dorothy travels to see the famous ruler of the Emerald City, The Wizard, to ask for his help in trying to return to her Kansas farm. Dorothy is pursued by The Wicked Witch of the West who tries to avenge her sister's death.

The 1939 Movie

In the extremely popular 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the East is again not seen except for her stockinged feet. In the movie, the shoes were changed to "ruby slippers".

Modern Works

In the Broadway musical, The Wiz, The Wicked Witch of the East is named Evamene.

In the more recent novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by author Gregory Maguire, The Wicked Witch of the East is known as Nessarose and is born without arms – a condition later treated by the well known shoes. In Wicked, the Broadway musical based on Maguire's novel, Nessarose is disabled and uses a wheelchair. In both works, the character is portrayed in a less negative light than in the Baum books or earlier movie.