Boq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boq |
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| Oz character | |
Boq with Dorothy, illustration by W. W. Denslow
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| First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |
| Last appearance | Wicked (musical) 2003 |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Tin Woodman (Wicked musical only) |
| Species | Munchkin (Human) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Nationality | Munchkin |
Boq is a minor character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which purports to show the lives of some of Baum's characters from another perspective, and more prominent still in the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked which is based on Maguire's novel.
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Other works
In Dorothy of Oz, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and China Doll Princess arrive in the Munchkin Village where they meet up with Boq. When Dorothy tells him that Toto is a prisoner of the Jester at Princess Gaylette's castle, Boq tells Dorothy that it has been raining for several months and that much of Munchkin County is underwater enough to put the Yellow Brick Road into a state of disrepair. Boq tells the group that the secret of the Yellow Brick Road involved the Wizard of Oz having the Good Witch of the North use magical ingredients to make it where it had the color of sunlight even when it rains for a short time. Following a break in the storm, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Boq headed to where Dorothy's house landed when she first arrived in the Land of Oz. While there, the group encounters the Queen of the Field Mice who mentioned that the constant rains have forced the Field Mice out of their burrows and even detect the presence of the Wicked Witch of the East's ghost. After a part of the Yellow Brick Road is put back in place and the Wicked Witch of the East's ghost disappears, the Munchkins and the Field Mice celebrate the spell being broken as Dorothy's group boards Tugg and heads down the Munchkin River once more.
Boq in the novel Wicked
In Maguire's novel, Boq is a childhood friend of Elphaba and a classmate of hers at Shiz University, where he assists her in doing research for Doctor Dillamond. He is the point-of-view character for several chapters in a section of the book. Boq becomes friends with Crope, Tibbett, and Avaric, although he appears to be jealous of Avaric's good looks, charm, and money. His infatuation with Galinda, which never comes to more than a brief kiss, gradually lifts and they become friends. Boq eventually marries Milla, one of Galinda's classmates at Crage Hall. The two wed and return to Boq's Munchkinland farm. Elphaba encounters Boq not long after Nessarose's funeral, as she inquires after Dorothy, and again after her assault on Madame Morrible.
Boq in the musical Wicked
In the musical, Boq is the love interest of Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose (who would later become the Wicked Witch of the East). However, the feeling is not mutual; Boq only became involved with Nessarose in hopes of impressing Galinda, on whom he truly has his heart set. Unfortunately, Galinda has so little regard for him that she cannot remember his name (calling him Biq). When Nessarose eventually becomes the governor of Munchkinland, she uses her power to enslave Boq as her personal servant. When Boq confesses his love for Glinda, Nessarose becomes extremely angry with him. At that point, she casts a spell on him from Elphaba's spell book, the Grimmrie, but mispronounces it. This causes Boq's heart to shrink until it is completely gone. In a desperate attempt to save Boq's life, Elphaba turns Boq into the Tin Woodman. Unlike in the novel, Boq plays a considerably condensed role in the stage production.
In the original Broadway production, which opened in 2003, he was played by Christopher Fitzgerald. Originally in the West End, James Gillan played the role.
Boq in the television series Once Upon A Time
In the season 5 episode, "Our Decay" Boq has a minor appearance when the Wicked Witch, Zelena, kills him by turning him into dust to find out who told Dorothy to return to Oz to defeat her.
