Summary

Only 28 years old when The Hunchback of Notre Dame was first published, Victor Hugo wrote his sweeping 200,000 word manuscript in just six months and, it is said, with a single bottle of ink. He got the idea for the story following a visit to Notre Dame cathedral where he discovered a cryptic inscription (the Greek word for "fate") carved deep into a stone wall in the tower. As he pondered the origins and meaning of the message, a story began to take shape in his mind. Motivated by a desire to re-create a portrait of medieval Paris for his contemporaries and to gain support for preserving the Gothic architecture that he so admired, he wove a tale that is both a rousing historical romance and a psychodrama. Rich in metaphors emphasizing contrast (dark and light, good versus evil, physical versus spiritual beauty, sounds and silence), the book provided the Disney creative team with a wealth of plot and characters along with some of its greatest storytelling challenges. The year is 1487 and the story is set against the gritty and tumultuous backdrop of urban Paris, where the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame towers above all else and the sound of its bells are the very soul of the city. As we discover in the prologue, sung by Gypsy puppeteer/master of ceremonies Clopin, the bell-ringer is a mysterious and misshapen outcast named Quasimodo (literally "half-formed"), who has been secluded there since infancy by his repressive guardian, Judge Claude Frollo. Obsessed with ridding the city of Gypsies, Frollo was responsible for the death of Quasimodo's Gypsy mother and was forced to care for the child as penance for his evil deeds. Twenty years have now passed and Quasimodo has grown into a strong and agile young man. Yearning to be out among the people in the square below but forbidden by Frollo from ever leaving his tower, he turns to his three imaginary gargoyle pals -- Victor, Hugo and Laverne -- for companionship and advice. On the day of the big pageant, the "Feast of Fools," Quasi (as he is affectionately known) finds the courage to join the celebration below and is swept up in the frenetic "topsy turvy" atmosphere. There he meets the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda and Frollo's heroic new Captain of the Guard, Phoebus. Quasi's plan to observe the festivities unnoticed unravels when he is crowned "King of Fools" and becomes the main attraction. When the crowd realizes that he is not wearing a mask and is, in fact, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, their delight turns to fear and they begin attacking him. Much to Frollo's displeasure, Esmeralda comes to Quasi's rescue and Phoebus is ordered to arrest her. Esmeralda cleverly outwits the soldiers who pursue her, and she takes refuge in the cathedral -- where her claim of "sanctuary" protects her from Frollo's power... but imprisons her in Notre Dame. Touched by her act of kindness towards him, Quasimodo befriends her and helps her to make a daring escape. Powerful forces have been set in motion: Phoebus has fallen in love with Esmeralda and is torn between conscience and duty when he is ordered to hunt her down as a fugitive. Frollo's repressed desires have been awakened by his encounter with Esmeralda and he blames her for possessing him. If he can't have her, no one will. Meanwhile, Quasi has experienced love for the first time in his life and is willing to sacrifice his own safety to save her from Frollo's vengeful wrath. When Phoebus and Quasimodo journey to the Gypsy hiding place, The Court of Miracles, to warn Esmeralda of Frollo's impending attack, they trigger an exciting and dramatic sequence of events. In the end, Quasimodo must find the inner strength he needs to defy the only parent he has ever known in order to break free and save Esmeralda ... and himself.