In the enchanting yet politically charged world of Wicked, Doctor Dillamond stands out as a pivotal character in Elphaba’s journey. This goat professor, voiced by Peter Dinklage, serves as the History teacher at Shiz University and holds the significant distinction of being the last Animal educator at the prestigious Ozian institution. His bond with Elphaba stems from their shared experience of being marginalized, forging a friendship that resonates deeply within the narrative of the first Wicked movie. However, Doctor Dillamond’s abrupt arrest leads to his disappearance from the film, leaving audiences wondering about his fate and potential return in the upcoming sequel.
Dr. Dillamond’s Crucial Role at Shiz University
Within the fantastical realm of Oz depicted in Wicked, Animals are not mere creatures; they are sentient beings capable of speech, education, and community building. Subtle hints throughout Elphaba’s story suggest a past where Animals held prominent positions in Ozian society, even governing Shiz University as faculty and administrators. This established order gradually erodes as prejudice against Animals takes root among the populace of Oz. Doctor Dillamond represents a vestige of this bygone era, one of the last Animals to maintain a position at Shiz. He utilizes his role as a history teacher to subtly sow seeds of change and awareness among his students, a decision that ultimately leads to his downfall in Wicked.
The Arrest of Doctor Dillamond: Silenced for Speaking Out
Dr. Dillamond Was The Last Of His Kind At Shiz
Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) teaching a class in Wicked
Doctor Dillamond possessed a premonition of the impending adversity facing Animals in Oz well before the events of Wicked unfold. The film reveals Elphaba’s discovery of her history teacher sheltering Animals in his home, where they convened to voice their growing anxieties about the escalating oppression they faced. While many chose to flee Oz to escape potential harm, Doctor Dillamond remained steadfast, determined to instigate change from within. Tragically, his resolve led to his public arrest during a history lesson. Doctor Dillamond was apprehended and removed from Shiz, ostensibly for disseminating information regarding the burgeoning movement against Animals – a crucial issue seemingly ignored or deliberately overlooked by the wider population of Oz.
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Wicked Witch of the Witch iconography collaged with Michelle Yeoh and Ariana Grande in Wicked
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Elphaba’s Vision and the Grim Fate of Doctor Dillamond
Animals Keep Getting Thrown Into Cages
Following Doctor Dillamond’s unjust arrest, Elphaba experiences a distressing vision: her esteemed teacher confined within a cage. Wicked establishes the veracity of Elphaba’s visions earlier in the film, when she accurately foresees Oz celebrating her, albeit mistakenly believing it to be a celebration of her death. This new vision of Doctor Dillamond deeply troubles Elphaba, solidifying her belief that appealing directly to the Wizard is the only viable course of action to address the plight of Animals and secure Doctor Dillamond’s release. Echoing a sentiment she shared with Doctor Dillamond in “Something Bad,” Elphaba believes the Wizard exists to prevent misfortune from befalling the citizens of Oz.
However, Wicked ultimately reveals the chilling truth: the Wizard himself is the architect of the very oppression faced by Animals like Doctor Dillamond. This revelation is subtly foreshadowed when Elphaba inadvertently shatters a stone carving of the Wizard, which concealed an image depicting Animals teaching at Shiz. The Wizard’s lust for power over Ozian society dictates his actions. He strategically manufactures an enemy – the Animals – against whom he positions himself as the sole protector, thereby consolidating his authority. The systematic caging and silencing of voices like Doctor Dillamond are integral components of this manipulative scheme.
A Darker Fate: Doctor Dillamond in the Wicked Book
Something Even Darker Befalls Dr. Dillamond In The Wicked Book
While the cinematic and musical depiction of Doctor Dillamond’s fate – imprisonment in a cage – is undoubtedly grim, it pales in comparison to his far more brutal end in Gregory Maguire’s original Wicked novel. In the book, Doctor Dillamond is portrayed as a Science teacher who collaborates with Elphaba on groundbreaking research aimed at differentiating Animals from non-sentient creatures biologically. This crucial research is abruptly terminated when Doctor Dillamond is discovered dead, his throat tragically slit.
Madam Morrible, in a chilling display of manipulation, dismisses Doctor Dillamond’s death as a mere accident, claiming he fell onto a shard of broken magnifying glass, resulting in fatal blood loss. Elphaba, however, remains unconvinced, firmly believing her friend and mentor was murdered due to their sensitive research. Driven by grief and a thirst for justice, she perseveres, continuing their work in secrecy. Although drastically different in detail from the movie’s narrative, Doctor Dillamond’s character and his tragic fate serve the same fundamental purpose: to ignite Elphaba’s activism and propel her forward on her transformative journey.
Doctor Dillamond’s Arrest: A Catalyst for Elphaba and Glinda
This Begins Both Their Political Journeys
Elphaba and Glinda standing side by side in Wicked
Doctor Dillamond’s unjust dismissal and arrest act as a crucial turning point, solidifying Elphaba’s unwavering commitment to enacting change in Oz. Her determination to confront the Wizard and seek his intervention intensifies, and fate soon provides her with the opportunity. However, Doctor Dillamond’s fate evokes a contrasting response in Galinda. While she expresses sympathy for his plight, she initially perceives the systemic oppression of Animals as beyond her capacity to rectify. Yet, motivated by a desire to impress both Elphaba and Fiyero, who readily aligns himself with Elphaba’s concerns, Galinda makes a symbolic gesture: she renames herself Glinda in Doctor Dillamond’s honor – a gesture that ultimately proves to be superficial and performative.
Doctor Dillamond’s Return in Wicked: Part Two?
Dr. Dillamond May Make A Quick Return
In the first Wicked movie, Elphaba naively believes that appealing to the Wizard will resolve everything, confident that Oz’s leader is unaware of the injustices faced by Animals and that Doctor Dillamond will be reinstated at Shiz upon the Wizard’s intervention. However, the devastating realization that the Wizard is the orchestrator of this oppression shatters her illusions, pushing Doctor Dillamond from the forefront of her immediate concerns. While the goat professor is not explicitly mentioned again in the first film, his story is far from over within Elphaba’s overarching narrative. Tragically, Elphaba’s earlier vision is poised to materialize in Wicked: Part Two, where she will indeed encounter Doctor Dillamond imprisoned in a cage.
In the second act of the Wicked saga, Elphaba returns to the Wizard’s tower to liberate the flying monkeys, only to be confronted by the Wizard himself. He attempts to sway her, offering her a position by his side. The Wizard rationalizes his actions by claiming the people of Oz have bestowed the label of “wonderful” upon him, leaving him no choice but to fulfill their expectations. He feigns a willingness to cooperate with Elphaba if she, in turn, aids him. Elphaba is momentarily tempted by his proposition, but her resolve crumbles when she discovers Doctor Dillamond caged and rendered speechless. This heartbreaking encounter solidifies Elphaba’s definitive stance against the Wizard in Wicked, marking a pivotal moment in her transformation into the iconic Wicked Witch of the West.
