Why does the Wicked Witch "have no power here"?
In The Wizard of Oz (1939), when Dorothy arrives to Oz and she is introduced to Glinda and the Munchkins, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives and threatens her, but Glinda insinuates that she is powerless there (part of the script):
GLINDA
Keep tight inside of them -- their magic
must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want
them so badly!
WITCH
You stay out of this, Glinda, or I'll fix
you as well!
GLINDA
Oh, rubbish! You have no power here. Be
gone, before somebody drops a house on you,
too.
WITCH
Very well -- I'll bide my time -- and as
for you, my fine lady, it's true, I can't
attend to you here and now as I'd like, but
just try to stay out of my way....
Here's the scene:
Forgive me if I'm not getting it correctly (English is not my first language), but what does Glinda mean with "You have no power here"? Is she literally implying that the Wicked Witch is powerless in some places of Oz/Munchkinland (something doubtful as she magically appeared and the Munchkins are scared to death of her)? Is it referring that she (Glinda) is more powerful than the Witch? What does she mean?
Best Answer
The original book didn't have any explanation (in part, because WWotE never appeared in that scene in the book). But I can definitely address ONE of your theories:
Is it referring that she (Glinda) is more powerful than the Witch? What does she mean?
Possibly.
First of all, in the books, Glinda, the Good Witch of the South was the most powerful of the four witches (and separate from Witch of the North, who greeted Dorothy at the start)
"Who is Glinda?" enquired the Scarecrow.
"The Witch of the South. She is the most powerful of all the Witches, and rules over the Quadlings.
Second, in the film, they combined both Good witches into a single Glinda witch who appeared both in the start and in the end. Presumably, the combined character was as powerful as the most powerful of the two, and thus more powerful than WWotW.
Additionally:
Most powers of WWotW seem to be in the control over her servants (Winged Monkeys etc...). As such, in a foreign land, she doesn't have that control as her servants aren't there to do her bidding.
Dorothy is wearing
silverruby slippers - and they seem to be a big source of power.
Pictures about "Why does the Wicked Witch "have no power here"?"
Does the Wicked Witch of the West have powers?
Powers and AbilitiesPyrokinesis: The witch is able to create destructive fireballs using her hands. Flight/Teleportation: She is seen able to teleport, creating huge fog-like red smoke, while she can fly with her broomstick if she wants.Does Glinda have powers?
Hydrokinesis: Glinda had the power to manipulate water - she created the fountain that held the Waters of Oblivion in the Emerald City.How powerful is the Wicked Witch of the West?
Despite her fear of water and the dark, the Wicked Witch of the West was one of the most powerful witches in all of Oz. In ensuing Oz books, her power is described as having been so great that even Glinda the Good Witch of the South feared her.How powerful was the Wicked Witch of the East?
When she does make an appearance, she is already dead. However, Baum does give her a backstory and insight into her history. The Wicked Witch of the East was one of four powerful Witches who presided over the four countries of the magical Land of Oz....Wicked Witch of the EastWicked Witch of the EastSpeciesBad Witch4 more rowsGlinda tells off the Wicked Witch
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