Are People Born Wicked? (or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?)

I’ve been thinking lately about my all-time favorite Broadway show – Wicked.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, Wicked tells what happened between Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy showed up in Oz. It was funny, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

There’s a question Glinda asked early on in the play that I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately.

GLINDA
And Goodness knows
The Wicked’s lives are lonely
Goodness knows
The Wicked die alone
It just shows when you’re Wicked
You’re left only
On your own

ALL
Yes, Goodness knows
The Wicked’s lives are lonely
Goodness knows
The Wicked cry alone
Nothing grows for the Wicked
They reap only
What they’ve sown

GLINDA
Are people born Wicked? Or do they have
Wickedness thrust upon them?

The rest of the play was a commentary on that single question.

What do you think?

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