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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

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Plot Summary

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Victor Hugo

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1831

Plot Summary
Victor Hugo’s Gothic French Romantic novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame was first published in 1831. The original French title was Notre-Dame de Paris and refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a focal point of the story. The title was amended to the one by which it is commonly known when it was translated into English in 1833, due to the Gothic being more popular than romance in England at the time. The action of the novel takes place in Paris, France during the latter portion of the Middle Ages, while Louis XI was in power. Hunchback uses the imposing cathedral as the symbolic witness to a history of a people, and is notable in its attention to the downtrodden class of beggars who are its protagonists. Hugo’s wide vision of life, encompassing everyone from king to beggar, defines his text and influenced many other authors, including Balzac and Dickens. The novel reached well beyond the literary arena, too, influencing a resurgence of Gothic architecture and a renovation of Notre-Dame in the nineteenth century.

The novel opens with the Festival of Fools in Paris in 1482. The hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo, is crowned Pope of Fools, as the ugliest person in the city. As he is raised up, mocked, and paraded through the crowd, the poet Pierre Gringoire attempts to get the people to watch the play he is presenting, but is unsuccessful. Archdeacon Frollo puts an end to the parade and has Quasimodo brought back to Notre-Dame. Gringoire, meanwhile, takes note of the beautiful gypsy girl La Esmerelda dancing in the street and follows her home. On the way he sees her attacked by Frollo and Quasimodo; Gringoire, in his attempt to save her, is knocked out by Quasimodo as Frollo flees. The hunchback is captured, and later beggars and unsavory characters attempt to hang Gringoire. Gringoire is saved by La Esmerelda, who offers to marry him for a period of four years.

The following day, after a quick trial, Quasimodo is sentenced to two hours of torture. In addition to the physical pain he must endure he is also publically ridiculed for his appearance. No one will give him any water until La Esmerelda does so. At the same time, a woman known as Sister Gudule accuses Esmerelda of having been responsible for the kidnapping of her daughter fifteen years ago. Several months later, while dancing near Notre-Dame, Esmerelda is approached by Phoebus, with whom she has fallen in love. He asks her to meet him that night.Frollo has been watching them from atop the cathedral and in a jealous rage over Esmerelda, he rejects God and vows to learn black magic and alchemy. He follows Phoebus to his rendezvous with Esmerelda, stabs Phoebus, and escapes. Esmerelda is captured by one of the king’s guards.



Esmerelda is tortured while on trial and falsely confesses to being a witch and to having killed Phoebus. She is sentenced to be hung. Frollo comes to her in jail and proclaims his love for her. He pleads with her to reciprocate his love and have pity on him but she refuses. In the public square,while awaiting her execution, Esmerelda sees Phoebus and realizes he has survived the attack but kept his injury a secret.Esmerelda calls to him but he does not acknowledge her and goes into the home of his fiancée. At that moment, Quasimodo appears at the top of the cathedral and swings down on a rope. He takes Esmerelda and amid his cries of “Sanctuary!” takes her into the cathedral. He, too, has fallen in love with her.

Notre-Dame does in fact provide sanctuary, as Esmerelda cannot be executed while she remains inside the cathedral. While she tries not to look at Quasimodo, they begin to develop a sort of friendship. He is inspired by her singing when around her, even though he cannot hear. Outside the cathedral, a group of beggars has decided to attempt to rescue Esmerelda, having heard that the authorities have ordered her removed from the cathedral. When they approach, Quasimodo mistakenly believes they have come to kill her and fights them, killing many of them. Frollo, meanwhile, knowing that attentions are diverted elsewhere, uses the opportunity to take Esmerelda out of Notre Dame. He tells her to choose between marrying him and facing execution. She selects death and is left with Sister Gudule, who, as it turns out, is Esmerelda’s mother. Sister Gudule tries in vain to help her daughter. From afar, Quasimodo sees Esmerelda hanging from the scaffold and cries out in grief. He grabs Frollo and throws him to his death. He looks down at Frollo’s body and at Esmerelda’s in the distance and realizes they are all he ever loved. When, in the future, Esmerelda’s remains are found, a hunchback’s skeleton is wrapped around them.

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