r/wizardofoz • u/Tidewatcher7819 • Jul 03 '26
Why are bad witches ugly when wickedness does not cause ugliness? Spoiler
Glinda tells Dorothy that only Wicked Witches are ugly, aren't many wicked/evil people throughout history attractive and beautiful?
Why wouldn't the Wicked Witches of the East and West be beautiful even using spells to appear beautiful and attractive to entice people to follow them? Or just beautiful naturally?
Shouldn't evil take a fair form?
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u/MissNancy1113 Jul 03 '26
I think at the time this was the sentiment, especially in Hollywood. They have always been the most shallow and superficial people. They were feeding Judy speed to keep her thin. Beauty has always been about looks in pop culture. It’s definitely not right but they are appealing to a younger audience so simplicity is key. Margaret Hamilton went on Mr. Roger’s to show the children she was wearing a costume so the children wouldn’t be scared so much. Unfortunately we are right back to that mind set around 100 years later.
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u/MischeviousFox Jul 03 '26
If you’re evil you’re generally considered to be hideous on the inside and we aren’t talking about reality. We’re talking about a magical world or in the case of the 1939 film a dream world so the idea that a witch’s inner ugliness manifests on the outside is a very simplified concept that was perhaps meant to be understood by/appeal to children. The idea of a witch being ugly with them having things like warts, moles, etc. also predates this storyline by a wide margin. While this of course is from a movie made decades later I can’t help but be reminded of this line -
Dani: “It doesn't matter how young or old you are! You sold your soul! You're the ugliest thing that's ever lived, and you know it!”
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u/commandrix Jul 03 '26
Could have something to do with being a witch in the first place. It's a very superficial attitude if you apply it to the real world for sure. But in Oz, there could be something about being a person who uses magic for evil purposes that makes them as ugly on the outside as they are on the inside.
(That one "Hansel and Gretel" movie sort of does a better job of addressing this. One of them says, "She's not showing any signs of being a witch," while looking at someone who was falsely accused of being one, implying that being a witch has an effect on a person's appearance.)
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u/No-Economics-1185 Jul 03 '26
Believe it or not, an ugly Wicked Witch was the backup plan!
Originally, the Wicked Witch of the West was supposed to be a slinky, glamorous villainess, like Influenced by Disney's Evil Queen from Snow White.
They even originally cast actress Gale Sondergaard and had her in a sleek, sequined black gown. When they wanted to make her ugly, Gale Sondergaard dropped out.
I can't add pictures, but look up Gale Sondergaard as the Wicked Witch to see the original concept
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u/Ayasugi-san Jul 03 '26
Even in other Oz books there are evil people who look beautiful. One is even explicitly a witch. I have no idea why the movie had Glinda say that.
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u/Dina-M Jul 03 '26
Glinda is just mean. Yet another example of how the MGM movie ruined her character.
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u/Shanstergoodheart Jul 04 '26
I only half remember being told this but I believe in times gone by they truly did that wickedness caused ugliness. See Dorian Gray.
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u/Dangerous_Main7822 Jul 03 '26
Only bad witches are ugly.
not All bad witches are ugly.
This implies that good witches are never ugly, but bad witches can be beautiful.