Oz
Oz, the self-proclaimed 'Great and Terrible' Wizard who rules the Emerald City from his secluded Throne Room, is the central figure of authority and mystery in the Land of Oz. He is ultimately revealed to be a complete humbug—a common, elderly man from Omaha with no magical powers whatsoever, who has maintained his reign for decades through elaborate stagecraft, ventriloquism, and a carefully constructed reputation for omnipotence. His character serves as the story's primary engine of both quest and disillusionment, forcing Dorothy and her companions to earn their desires through a dangerous task before exposing the fragile artifice behind his power.
Identity and Background
Oz is not a native of the land he rules. He was born in Omaha, a fact that Dorothy notes is 'not very far from Kansas.' As a young man, he became a skilled ventriloquist, trained by a great master, able to imitate any kind of bird or beast. Tiring of that profession, he became a balloonist, a man who goes up in a balloon on circus day to draw a crowd. One day, his balloon's ropes became twisted, preventing his descent. The balloon carried him high above the clouds for a day and a night, and on the morning of the second day he awoke to find himself floating over a strange and beautiful country. The balloon came down gradually, and he was not hurt. Finding himself in the midst of a strange people who, seeing him come from the clouds, thought he was a great Wizard, he let them think so because they were afraid of him and promised to do anything he wished. To amuse himself and keep the good people busy, he ordered them to build the Emerald City and his Palace, which they did willingly and well. Because the country was so green and beautiful, he called it the Emerald City, and to make the name fit better, he put green spectacles on all the people so that everything they saw was green. He has been a very old man for many years since the balloon brought him there as a young man.
The Illusions of Power
Oz never appears to his subjects in his true form. He has fooled everyone for so long that he thought he should never be found out. He usually refuses to see even his subjects, so they believe he is something terrible. To Dorothy, he appeared as an enormous Head, without a body, made of many thicknesses of paper with a carefully painted face, hung from the ceiling by a wire. He stood behind a screen and pulled a thread to make the eyes move and the mouth open, using his ventriloquism to throw his voice. To the Scarecrow, he appeared as a most lovely Lady dressed in green silk gauze with a crown of jewels and gorgeous, fluttering wings. To the Tin Woodman, he took the shape of a most terrible Beast, nearly as big as an elephant, with a head like a rhinoceros, five eyes, five long arms, five long, slim legs, and thick, woolly hair. To the Cowardly Lion, he appeared as a fierce Ball of Fire, so hot it singed the Lion's whiskers. The false Wizard showed his visitors the props: the dress and mask for the Lady, a lot of skins sewn together with slats for the Beast, and a ball of cotton that burned fiercely when oil was poured upon it for the Ball of Fire.
The Task and the Promise
When Dorothy and her companions first arrive at the Emerald City seeking his help, Oz imposes a single, deadly condition on all of them: they must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. He tells Dorothy, 'Kill the Wicked Witch of the West,' and that until she is dead, he will not send her back to Kansas. He gives the same task to the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, each time promising to grant their wish—brains, a heart, and courage, respectively—only after the Witch is destroyed. He admits to himself that one of his greatest fears was the Witches, for while he had no magical powers at all, he soon found out that the Witches were really able to do wonderful things. He lived in deadly fear of the Wicked Witches of the East and West for many years, so he was willing to promise anything if Dorothy would do away with them.
The Exposure and the Humbug's Confession
After Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch of the West, the travelers return to the Emerald City to claim their rewards. Oz delays, but when the Scarecrow threatens to summon the Winged Monkeys, the Wizard, who had once met them in the Land of the West and did not wish to meet them again, agrees to see them. When they enter the Throne Room, they find it empty. A solemn Voice speaks, claiming to be everywhere and invisible. The Lion's roar causes Toto to tip over a screen in a corner, revealing a little old man with a bald head and a wrinkled face. The Tin Woodman rushes toward him with his axe, and the little man cries out, 'I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. But don't strike me—please don't—and I'll do anything you want me to.' He confesses, 'I have been making believe,' and admits, 'I'm just a common man.' The Scarecrow declares, 'you're a humbug,' and Oz agrees, 'Exactly so! I am a humbug.' He explains that no one else knows his secret but the four of them and himself. He admits he is a very good man but a very bad Wizard.
The Bestowal of Gifts and the Departure
Despite being a humbug, Oz fulfills his promises in a symbolic, material way. He gives the Scarecrow brains by emptying his head of straw and filling it with a mixture of bran and a great many pins and needles. He gives the Tin Woodman a heart by cutting a hole in his breast and placing inside a pretty heart made entirely of silk and stuffed with sawdust. He gives the Cowardly Lion courage by having him drink a liquid from a square green bottle, telling him that courage is always inside one and that this cannot be called courage until it is swallowed. Oz, left to himself, smiles to think of his success, reflecting, 'How can I help being a humbug when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can't be done?' He then attempts to take Dorothy back to Kansas in a new balloon he constructs from green silk. He announces he is going away to make a visit and commands the people to obey the Scarecrow as their ruler. However, as Dorothy runs to find Toto, the ropes break and the balloon rises into the air without her. Oz calls out 'Good-bye!' and that is the last any of them ever see of him, though he may have reached Omaha safely. The people remember him lovingly, saying he built them the beautiful Emerald City and left the Wise Scarecrow to rule over them.
