The land of Oz is known for being colorful, and the setting and costuming ofWickedare no exception.Glinda’s iconic pink outfitsset her apart from the otherstudents at Shiz University, while Elphaba’s darker attire is a reminder that she doesn’t fit in among her peers. Madame Morrible, unlike othermajor characters inWicked, wears more than one color throughout the movie.
Though Madam Morrible’s outfits are predominantly blue for most ofWIcked, Paul Tazewell’s award-winning costumes say a lot about the characters, so it only makes sense that a chameleon-like Madame Morrible would have a very colorful closet.Madame Morrible’s outfits serve double duty, both disarming Elphaba during herstudies at Shizand hinting at what’s to come for the future of Morrible’s character arc.
Madame Morrible’s Early Wicked Costumes Are Blue To Position Her As Elphaba’s Ally
Madame Morrible Wears Her Own Shades of Shiz’s Signature School Color
While shades of blue can be seen all around Shiz University, Madame Morrible’s outfits stand out inWicked.When she first meets Elphaba and gives her speech to the new students, Morrible wears a brown stole, but her outfit is light blue beneath it.
Wickedis Academy Award-nominated for Best Costume Design.
At this point inWicked,the only thing known about Madame Morrible is her position at Shiz University, soMadame Morrible’s preference for Elphaba over Glindasubverts expectations when compared with the reactions of the other characters. Morrible wears the same light blue in front of a crowd of students again later when Elphaba receives her invitation from the Wizard, associating the pastel shade with the students of Shiz.
When Madame Morrible begins teaching Elphaba magic, she wears dark blue. The other character to wear this shade is Fiyero, who supports Elphaba throughout the movie, even when he’s dating Glinda. Elphaba’s dark aesthetic contributes to people’s perception of her as"wicked,“so it makes sense that dark colors on other characters would share similar symbolism, painting characters in darker outfits as eitherElphaba’s allies or some level of wicked themselves.
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Madame Morrible does show up in a color other than blue for a brief moment during Elphaba and Glinda’s time at Shiz—in the Ozdust Ballroom, when she gifts Glinda her training wand. Morrible wears purple, which would be the result of mixing her usual blue with Glinda’s pink. Her outfit color acts asa visual representation of Glinda and Elphaba’s new bondandGlinda’s new place in her magic classes.
Madame Morrible’s Dark Green Dress In Wicked’s Ending Confirms Her Villainous Nature
Madame Morrible’s Outfit In The Emerald City Helps Reveal Her Place As The Wizard’s Right Hand
The last time Madame Morrible appears inWicked,she has lost her usual blue entirely. While Madame Morrible’s sudden appearance is shocking enough on its own, her dark green outfit immediately implies her position in this conversation. She’s been on Elphaba’s side until this point, but this is the moment that makes it clearMorrible’s association with Elphaba was because of what Elphabacould do for her rather than what she could do for Elphaba. Before she even does anything else, her costume makes it clear thatMadame Morrible is working with the Wizard.
Dark colors inWickedhave more to do with the appearance of “wickedness” than actual evil.
The Wizard’s outfit incorporates multiple shades of green, but Madame Morrible’s is a very dark shade, adding to the sense of foreboding. The idea of darkness being associated with evil is deconstructed through Elphaba’s outfits and others' perception of her, implying thatdark colors inWickedhave more to do with the appearance of"wickedness"than actual evil. The darker colors symbolize the change in Elphaba’s perception after Madame Morrible helps convinceElphaba to read the Grimmerie.
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Madam Morrible’s shift from blue to green also points to the shift of her allegiance from Shiz to the Wizard. While Morrible’s clearly been working with him for a long time, this is the first moment inWickedthat audiences and Elphaba get to see that. Madame Morrible’s outfits sum up her character arc as well as being a visual representation of Elphaba’s perception of her allegiances. It’s safe to assume a lot more green is in Madame Morrible’s future.
