The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Victor_Hugo-Hunchback.jpg/200px-Victor_Hugo-Hunchback.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Victor_Hugo-Hunchback.jpg)

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Hugo began to write Hunchback in 1829. The agreement with his original publisher, Gosselin, was that the book would be finished that same year. However, Hugo was constantly delayed due to the demands of other projects. By the summer of 1830, Gosselin demanded the book to be completed by February 1831. And so beginning in September 1830, Hugo worked non-stop on the project; he bought a new bottle of ink, a woolen cloak, [citation needed] and cloistered himself in his room refusing to be bothered or to leave his house (except for nightly visits to the cathedral). The book was finished six months later.

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The story dates back to January 6, 1482, the day of the 'Festival of Fools' in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is introduced by his crowning as Pope of Fools.
Esmeralda, a beautiful Gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men but especially those of Quasimodo and his adopted father, Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to get her. Quasimodo is caught and whipped and ordered to be tied down in the heat. Esmeralda, seeing his thirst, offers him water. It saves her, for she captures the heart of the hunchback (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunchback).
She is later accused of the attempted murder of Phoebus, who Frollo attempted to kill in jealousy, and is sentenced to death by hanging. Quasimodo saves her by bringing her to the cathedral under the law of sanctuary. Clopin rallies the Truands (criminals of Paris) to charge the cathedral and rescue Esmeralda. The king, seeing the chaos, vetoes the law of sanctuary and commands his troops to take Esmeralda out and kill her. When Quasimodo sees the Truands, he assumes they are there to hurt Esmeralda, so he drives them off. Frollo betrays Esmeralda by handing her to the troops and watches while she is hanged. Quasimodo pushes him from Notre-Dame to his death. Quasimodo then goes to Mount Faucon (a huge graveyard in Paris where all hanged bodies are thrown), lies next to her corpse and eventually dies of starvation. One year later, excavationists find the skeletons of Esmeralda with a broken neck and Quasimodo locked in an embrace.

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Characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame



Quasimodo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasimodo) is the protagonist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protagonist) of the novel and hunchback (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunchback) of Notre Dame. He lives in the bell tower of Notre Dame and rings the bells, which has made him deaf. When he was a hideous and abandoned baby, he was adopted by Claude Frollo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Frollo). Quasimodo's life within the confines of the cathedral and his only two outlets—ringing the bells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_bells) and his love and devotion for Frollo—are described. He ventures outside the Cathedral rarely, since people despise and shun him for his appearance. The notable occasions when he does leave include his taking part in the Festival of Fools—during which he is elected Fools'-Pope due to his perfect hideousness—and his subsequent attempt to kidnap Esmeralda, his rescue of Esmeralda from the gallows, his attempt to bring Phoebus to Esmeralda, and his final abandonment of the cathedral at the end of the novel. It is revealed in the story that the baby Quasimodo was left by the Gypsies in place of Esmeralda, whom they abducted.


Esmeralda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esm%C3%A9ralda_(The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame)) is a beautiful young barefoot Gypsy dancer, innocent, close to nature, and naturally compassionate and kind. She is the center of the human drama within the story. A popular focus of the citizens' attentions, she experiences their changeable attitudes, being first adored as an entertainer, then hated as a witch, before being lauded again for her dramatic rescue by Quasimodo; when the King finally decides to put her to death, he does so in the belief that the Parisian mob want her dead. She is loved by both Quasimodo and Claude Frollo, but falls deeply in love with Captain Phoebus, a handsome military man who only has a passing infatuation with her.


Claude Frollo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Frollo) is the Archdeacon of Notre Dame. Despite his celibacy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celibacy) vows as a priest, he finds himself madly in love with Esmeralda. He nearly murders Phoebus in a jealous rage from seeing Phoebus on top of Esmeralda. He is killed when Quasimodo pushes him off the cathedral. His dour attitude and his alchemical experiments scared and alienated him from the Parisians, who believed him a sorcerer, and so he lived without family, save for Quasimodo and his spoiled brother Jehan. He serves as the Novels main antagonist.


Pierre Gringore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Gringore) is a struggling poet. He mistakenly finds his way into the "Court of Miracles", the secret lair of the Gypsies. In order to preserve the secrecy, Gringoire must either be killed by hanging, or marry a Gypsy. Although Esmeralda does not love him, and in fact believes him a coward rather than a true man (he, unlike Phoebus, failed in his attempt to rescue her from Quasimodo), she takes pity on his plight and marries him—although, much to his disappointment, she refuses to let him touch her. Instead, the poet relieves his sexual tensions on Esmeralda's pet goat.


Djali (pronounced like "Jolly") is Esmeralda's pet goat. She performs tricks such as writing the word "Phoebus" in moveable letter-blocks, and tapping the number of beats to indicate the month and hour of the day. These tricks delight the citizens at first, but later horrify them, causing them to believe Esmeralda is a witch.


Jehan Frollo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehan_Frollo) is Claude Frollo's over-indulged younger brother. He is a troublemaker and a student at the university. He is dependent on his brother for money, which he then proceeds to squander on alcohol. Quasimodo kills him during the attack on the cathedral.


Phoebus de Chateaupers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Phoebus) is the Captain of the King's Archers. After he saves Esmeralda from abduction, she becomes infatuated with him, and he himself is intrigued by her. He is already bethrothed, but just wants to lie with her. As he continues talking and kissing her, Frollo comes from behind and stabs him. Esmeralda runs away but is framed with killing him. After the events of the novel, he suffers the 'tragedy' of marriage to the beautiful but spiteful Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier.


Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier is a beautiful and wealthy socialite engaged to Phoebus. Phoebus's attentions to Esmeralda make her insecure and jealous, and she and her friends respond by treating Esmeralda with contempt and spite. Fleur-de-Lys later neglects to inform Phoebus that Esmeralda has not been executed, which serves to deprive the pair of any further contact. Phoebus and Fleur-de-Lys marry at the end of the novel.


Sister Gudule, formerly named Paquette la Chantefleurie, is an anchorite, who lives in seclusion in an exposed cell in central Paris. She is tormented by the loss of her daughter Agnes, whom she believes to have been cannibalised by Gypsies as a baby, and devotes her life to mourning her. Her long-lost daughter turns out to be Esmeralda.


Louis XI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XI_of_France) is the King of France. Appears briefly when he is brought the news of the rioting at Notre Dame.


Tristan l'Hermite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_l%27Hermite) is a friend of King Louis XI. He leads the band that goes to capture Esmeralda.


Henriet Cousin is the city executioner.


Florian Barbedienne is the judge who sentences Quasimodo to be tortured. He is also deaf.


Jacques Charmolue gets Esmeralda to falsely confess to killing Phoebus. He then has her executed.


Clopin Trouillefou (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clopin_Trouillefou) is the King of Truands. He rallies the Court of Miracles to rescue Esmeralda from Notre Dame after the idea is suggested by Gringoire. He is eventually killed during the attack by the King's soldiers.

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As stated by many critics and scholars, the Cathedral of Notre Dame appears to be the main setting, which is almost elevated to the status of a character. Indeed, the original French title of the book, Notre-Dame de Paris (the formal title of the Cathedral) shows that the cathedral (and not Quasimodo) is the subject of the story. The book portrays the Gothic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture) era as one of extremes of architecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture), passion, and religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion). Like many of his other works, Hugo is also very concerned with social justice, and his descriptions of religious fanaticism are also examined. Strikingly, Hugo shifts his focus between characters, and assigns the roles of hero and villain to different characters at different points in the novel.

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Architecture is a major concern of Hugo's in Notre-Dame de Paris, not just as embodied in the cathedral itself, but as representing throughout Paris and the rest of Europe an artistic genre which, Hugo argued, was about to disappear with the arrival of the printing press. Claude Frollo's portentous phrase, ‘Ceci tuera cela’ ("This will kill that", as he looks from a printed book to the cathedral building), sums up this thesis, which is expounded on in Book V, chapter 2. Hugo writes that ‘quiconque naissait poète se faisit architecte’ ("whoever is born a poet becomes an architect"), arguing that while the written word was heavily censored and difficult to reproduce, architecture was extremely prominent and enjoyed considerable freedom.

Il existe à cette époque, pour la pensée écrite en pierre, un privilége tout-à-fait comparable à notre liberté actuelle de la presse. C'est la liberté de l'architecture.
There exists in this era, for thoughts written in stone, a privilege absolutely comparable to our current freedom of the press. It is the freedom of architecture.
—Book V, Chapter 2

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With the recent introduction of the printing press, it became possible to reproduce one's ideas much more easily on paper, and Hugo considered this period to represent the last flowering of architecture as a great artistic form. As with many of his books, Hugo was interested in a time which seemed to him to be on the cusp between two types of society.

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Literary significance and reception

[

The enormous popularity of the book in France spurred the nascent historical preservation movement in that country and strongly encouraged Gothic revival (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_revival) architecture. Ultimately it led to major renovations at Notre-Dame in the 19th century led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Viollet-le-Duc). Much of the cathedral's present appearance is a result of this renovation.

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Allusions to actual history, geography and current science
In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo makes frequent reference to the architecture of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.
He also mentions the invention of the printing press (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press), when the bookmaker near the beginning of the work speaks of "the German pest."
Victor Hugo lived a few homes away from Victor of Aveyron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_of_Aveyron), the first well-documented feral child (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_child),[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-0) although the inspiration for Quasimodo's character is not directly linked to him.

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Allusions in other works
The name Quasimodo has become synonymous with "a courageous heart beneath a grotesque exterior." [2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-1)
[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame&action=edit&section=10)] Film, TV, or theatrical adaptations

To date, all of the film and TV adaptations have strayed somewhat from the original plot, some going as far as to give it a happy ending.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has had a number of film adaptations:

Esmeralda (1905 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_(1905_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1911_film))
The Darling of Paris (1917 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darling_of_Paris)
Esmeralda (1922 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_(1922_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1923_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1939_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1956_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1996_film)) Disney animation
The Hunchback (1997 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_(1997_film))
Quasimodo d'El Paris (1999 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasimodo_d%27El_Paris)
It has also appeared on TV numerous occasions:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1966 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1966))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1977))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1982_film))
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986 film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1986_film))
Theatre:

In 1977, an adaptation by Ken Hill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Hill_(playwright)) was commisioned and staged by the National Theatre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_Theatre) in London.
Music:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Alec R. Costandinos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_R._Costandinos) and the Syncophonic Orchestra from 1977, a lush orchestral disco 28 minute epic re-telling the tale of Quasimodo and Esmeralda.
Musical theatre:

Opera "La Esmeralda", by Louise Bertin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bertin) (1836), libretto by Victor Hugo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo).
Opera "Esmeralda", by Arthur Goring Thomas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Goring_Thomas) (1883) based on the Victor Hugo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo) novel.
Opera Esmeralda, by Dargomyzhsky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dargomyzhsky) (1847), also based on the same Victor Hugo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo) novel.
"Notre Dame", romantic Opera in two acts, text after Victor Hugo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo) by Franz Schmidt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schmidt) and Leopold Wilk (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leopold_Wilk&action=edit&redlink=1); composed: 1902-4, 1st perf.: Vienna 1914
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1993), an Off Broadway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_Broadway) musical (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre) with music by Byron Janis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Janis), lyrics by Hal Hackady (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Hackady) and book by Anthony Scully [3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-2)
In 1999, "Notre Dame de Paris (musical) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris_(musical))" opened in Paris and became an instant success. It is considered the most successful adaptation of any novel except for "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Misérables." It was also adapted for the stage by Nicholas DeBaubien.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-3)
From 1999 to 2002, the Disney (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney) film was adapted into a darker, more Gothic musical production called Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Gl%C3%B6ckner_von_Notre_Dame) (translated in English as The Bellringer of Notre Dame), re-written and directed by James Lapine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lapine) and produced by the Disney theatrical branch, in Berlin, Germany (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin,_Germany). A cast recording was also recorded in German.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-4) There has been discussion of an American revival of the musical.
A rock musical version was released in Seattle, Washington in 1998 titled "HUNCHBACK" with music and script by C. Rainey Lewis. [6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-5)
A musical version, scored by Dennis DeYoung (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_DeYoung), will open in Chicago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago) at the Bailiwick Reperatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bailiwick_Reperatory&action=edit&redlink=1) in the summer of 2008 [7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#cite_note-6)
Ballet:

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1998 Choreography and Direction Michael Pink (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Pink&action=edit&redlink=1). Original Music Score Philip Feeney (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philip_Feeney&action=edit&redlink=1). First performance in the United Kingdom. Currently in the repertoire of Milwaukee Ballet, Boston Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Colorado Ballet.
"Ringaren i Notre Dame" (Swedish for The Bellringer of Notre Dame) 2009 Choreography Pär Isberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=P%C3%A4r_Isberg&action=edit&redlink=1). Original Music Score Stefan Nilsson (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stefan_Nilsson&action=edit&redlink=1). First performance 3 April 2009 by the Royal Swedish Ballet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Swedish_Ballet) at the Royal Swedish Opera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Swedish_Opera), Stockholm.
Radio:
The book was twice adapted and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 as its Classic Serial:

in 5 parts from 6 January to 3 February 1989, with Jack Klaff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Klaff) as Quasimodo
in 2 parts on 30 November and 7 December 2008, with deaf actor David Bower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bower) playing Quasimodo

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Quotations

A description of Quasimodo upon his election as the fool's pope: "We shall not attempt to give the reader an idea of that tetrahedron nose- that horse-shoe mouth- that small left eye over-shadowed by a red bushy brow, while the right eye disappeared entirely under an enormous wart- of those straggling teeth with breaches here and there like the battlements of a fortress- of that horny lip, over which one of those teeth projected like the tusk of an elephant- of that forked chin- and, above all, of the expression spread over all this-that expression of mingled malice, amazement and sadness." (p. 62)
On the connection between architecture and culture: "When a man understands the art of seeing, he can trace the spirit of an age and the features of a king even in the knocker on a door." (p. 184)
Quasimodo's reaction to Esmeralda's gift of a drink of water while he is being heckled on the pillory: "Then from that eye, hitherto so dry and burning, was seen to roll a big tear, which fell slowly down that deformed visage so long contracted by despair. Perhaps it was the first that the unfortunate creature had ever shed." (p. 322)
Quasimodo, explaining why he won't enter Esmeralda's cell: "The owl goes not into the nest of the lark." (p. 502)
After Esmeralda's execution: "Quasimodo then lifted his eye to look upon the Gypsy girl, whose body, suspended from the gibbet, he beheld quivering afar, under its white robes, in the last struggles of death; then again he dropped it upon the archdeacon, stretched a shapeless mass at the foot of the tower, and he said with a sob that heaved his deep breast to the bottom, 'Oh-all that I've ever loved!'" (p. 678)

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