What Happened To Elphaba’s Mom In Wicked

Spoilers Alert: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: Part 1.

While Elphaba Thropp’s mother, Melena, only briefly appeared in Wicked: Part 1, her role proved critical for her daughter’s transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West. Portrayed by Courtney-Mae Briggs and a supporting character in the cast of Wicked, Melena Thropp is the mother of Elphaba and Nessarose and the wife of Frexspar Thropp, the Governor of Munchkinland. While the character featured heavily in the original novel by Gregory Maguire, she only briefly appeared in the musical and the 2024 movie adaptation.

Elphaba’s youth and backstory in Wicked help form the basis of the story. The movie provides some interesting insight into her past, but naturally leaves a few things ambiguous. That was certainly the case with Elphaba’s mother, who was hinted at being an important factor in her transformation into one of the witches in The Wizard of Oz.

Elphaba’s Mom Died During Childbirth With Nessarose

Nessarose Was Born Premature and Paraplegic

Wicked: Part 1 looks into Elphaba’s complex family tree, including her mother, Melena. Melena Thropp appears in the opening song “No One Mourns The Wicked”, bidding farewell to her husband, Flexspar, so she can embark on an affair with a mysterious stranger; this affair results in Melena falling pregnant with Elphaba. This is one of several changes made from the dark themes of the original novel, where Melena is drugged and sexually assaulted. The birth of their first child causes conflict between Melena and her husband, and he later turns his anger and hatred towards Elphaba as she grows up.

Melena doesn’t appear again in the movie, with it later being confirmed that she died when Elphaba was young. In the musical and movie, it’s revealed that Melena died giving birth to her second daughter, Nessarose. During her second pregnancy, Melena was forced by her husband to chew on milk flowers, to ensure the child was born with white skin. Tragically, Melena dies from childbirth complications and the premature birth of Nessarose results in her being born paralyzed from the waist down.

Elphaba Blames Herself For Her Mother’s Death

Elphaba Reveals Her Feelings Of Her Mother’s Death To Glinda

The death of Melena weighs heavily on Elphaba throughout her life; as she grows up, she is resented and hated by her father, Frixspar, and is made to act as a mother and protector to Nessarose. While sharing secrets in their dorm room, Elphaba reveals the details of her mother’s death to Glinda, and she reveals that her mother “didn’t wake up” after the birth of Nessarose. Elphaba admits to Glinda that she believes that had she not been born with green skin in Wicked, Frixspar wouldn’t have forced Melena to consume milk flowers, which contributed to her death.

Related

Wicked’s Timeline & When It Takes Place Compared To The Wizard Of Oz Explained

Wicked isn’t exactly a conventional prequel, which makes it difficult for fans to place the story within the original Wizard of Oz timeline.

In an act that solidifies their growing friendship, Glinda firmly assures Elphaba that her mother’s death was not her fault, and it was caused by the consumption of the milk flowers. She assures Elphaba that, regardless of her green skin, she is a beautiful person. Elphaba’s decision to share her secret with Glinda frees her from the emotional burden she has carried since her childhood and allows her to move forward towards her dream of working with the Wizard. As depicted in Wicked: Part 1, Melena Thropp’s death greatly impacted Elphaba’s childhood and arguably began the motion of events that led her eldest daughter to ultimately become known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Director

Jon M. Chu

Release Date

November 22, 2024

Studio(s)

Marc Platt Productions

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

Writers

Gregory Maguire , Winnie Holzman , Dana Fox , L. Frank Baum

Cast

Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd

Runtime

160 Minutes

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