Perhaps the most intriguing character in the ballet is Madge. In most productions, it’s evident that Madge is a witch and up to no good from the moment the audience lays eyes on her. For Englund, who has won accolades for the role, it was important to create a full-blooded person. "When I started to work with the part, I couldn’t be evil until I understood why," she said. "That’s why I created a complete past for her. I know her very well, although my ideas change all the time. I think she was unwanted, and she’s also crippled. And we all know how people who are different are treated. She has always been made fun of. And the harder thing for a human being is to be rejected, not wanted."
"At some point, she moved to the forest," Englund continued. "Maybe she’s living in someone’s empty cottage. Maybe she’s like a bag lady today. She doesn’t want any mercy from any social system. She wants to be on her own. And she’s good at telling people’s fortune; I think that a person who is very lonely sees other people quite clearly."
When the audience first sees Madge in this production, she is not dressed in a costume that signals "witch," but is made to look like a member of the community. "Her clothes are just a little bit more worn down and not so elegant," said Englund. "She’s an outsider, but she’s not evil by definition. She becomes evil because she is thrown out by James. She’s badly treated, and it’s one time too many. That’s when she makes her plan to have her revenge, and it’s very sweet and incredibly short. In the end she’s more lonely than before. She has nothing."