FREE ESSAY ON HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Everyday, the people of Paris are accustomed to waking to the bells of Notre Dame. Today,
the 6th of January, was different though. It is to be a hectic and eventful for the
ambassadors of Flanders would arrive to discuss the marriage of the price to Margaret of
Flanders.
Coincidentally that same day was the Epiphany and the well-renowned Festival of Fools. As
the citizens of Paris awoke, they assembled in the great hall with different
expectations. Many came to watch the crowning of the Pope of Fools; others are anxiously
awaiting the start of a melodrama. Astoundingly, the great hall is filled beyond capacity
when tensions break and the crowd orders that the promised play to begin at once. It is
here where we meet an important plot developer, Gringoire the poet, who has drafted the
play and as any good playwright would, is tremendously happy about his masterpiece.
However, to his arrant horror everyone present in the great mass of Parisians losses
interest in his production when the ambassadors and other dignitaries arrive with the
archbishop. Determined to have his piece performed, Gringoire pressures the four actors
to continue. Unfortunately, his attempts are vain. Some time afterwards a crowd rallies
together and begins the election of the Pope of Fools. The crowd becomes boisterous, even
his own actors are drawn to the election. Soon Gringoire is left alone. His hopes and
expectations vanquished, the story's playwright departs into the streets as the rest of
the city parades its newfound Pope of Fools, the opprobrious, grotesque, Quasimodo. As
people of all ages presented their hideous grimaces in hopes of being elected Pope, the
notorious hunchback of Notre Dame Cathedral was spotted amongst the assemblage and
crowned the most hideous creature on earth. Afterwards, Quasimodo is raised above the
crowd and is ridiculed. However, he perceives the crowd is paying homage to his crown.
Penniless, without shelter, food and nowhere to turn, Gringoire continues to gape the
streets wondering where he will get his next meal and cursing the people of Paris and
their Festival of Fools. As he roams, he finds an interesting distraction, that of La
Esmeralda's show. The most beautiful of gypsies, this charming, slender young woman was
perceived as a witch and sorceress because of her exotic show and well-trained goat. In
actuality La Esmeralda was simply an extremely keen and generous person whose generosity
and kindness left everyone she came in contact with entranced. Among the thunderstruck by
her charms and resplendent beauty were the newly elected Pope, a distraught poet and a
sinister and twisted priest. From atop the shoulders of the masses, Quasimodo has an
excellent view of the glowing Esmeralda as she performs her dances. Her astounding beauty
immediately attracts Quasimodo. He is awakened from his reverie only when his transport
comes to a sudden stop at the orders of a stern and feeble priest. Suddenly the massive
Pope lowers from his thrown and hurls his powerful body at the feet of the slender old
priest. Astonished by the humility of their Pope, the crowd fails to realize that they
have lost their entertainment for the night. 
Some time afterwards, we find Gringoire following La Esmeralda in hope that he might find
some source of support. He is thwarted however when a tall, shadowy figure assaults the
gypsy princess; and he is confronted by the powerful fists of Quasimodo. Like all damsels
in distress, Esmeralda requires the help of a knight in shining armor, she finds her hero
in the form of Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers. Meanwhile, Gringoire continues on his way
meeting several beggars. He fails to recognize his location in a very dangerous part of
Paris. He is attacked and kidnapped by the same beggars. He is taken to the dreaded Court
of Miracles where the blind can see, and the lame run. There he is told that the only
escape from death was that he joins them as a member of slang, or a woman can choose to
marry him. He fails the tests miserly but is saved when La Esmeralda is touched with pity
as the noose is placed around his neck. She offers to marry the poet pitifully. 
After captured by Phoebus and his archers, Quasimodo was arrested. Now, on the morrow of
the festivities, he stood trial on charges of nocturnal disturbance, assault, disloyalty
and resisting arrest. It was by no means a just trial. However, the judge and Quasimodo
are both completely deaf. Evidently, this presents a major problem; Quasimodo is not only
convicted but because of miscommunications is given a heavier sentence. Quasimodo was
scourged for two hours, tidied on the pillory and finally fined. These edicts were
carried out immediately. Worst of all, Quasimodo does not know his fate. Sure enough, the
sentence is carried out with great promptitude. Quasimodo was flogged and later placed on
the pillory where he is mocked and molested by the public and even his master, that
sinister priest, Frollo du Murillo who awaited the public execution for hours. Countless
stones and pieces of pottery were hurled alongside with insults at the tortured beast as
he pleaded for a drink of water. No other emotion other than abomination reigned in that
place where just the day before Quasimodo had been named Pope. Then, like a single star
peering through a menacing storm, there appeared La Esmeralda wrapped in her white robe.
At first Quasimodo feared she would seek revenge. Instead he found his pleas for water
answered as she approached him with a gourd of water and placed it to his lips; just as a
single tear rolled down his face. The time of his punishment expired, Quasimodo was
finally released and the mob dispersed. 
The timeline of the story now shifts several weeks as we encounter the courageous Phoebus
attending a small party together with several women. As they converse atop a balcony,
Esmeralda performs her dance below, catching the attention of the girls. Esmeralda is
asked to join them. However, when she has her goat Djali engage in a performance where he
spells out P-h-o-e-b-u-s. The ladies, because her of sorcery, are petrified.
Nevertheless, Phoebus remains interested in the beautiful Egyptian girl. 
During the Hunchback's tribulation, Gringoire meets Claude Frollo. Frollo discovers that
unlike the rumors perfused, he has not slept with Esmeralda and that her real interest
was in one named Phoebus. 
Later, Frollo discovers who this Phoebus is and persuades him to allow him to observe his
scheduled meeting with La Esmeralda. Phoebus, not being the extravagant type, embraces
some money and assents to the deal. Phoebus has made a tragic mistake. As soon as his
doubts are answered, and Frollo is certain that Phoebus' love is La Esmeralda, Frollo
stabs the soldier in the back and leaves him for dead. When news gets out about Phoebus'
attack, it is whispered that Esmeralda had stabbed him herself. The insinuations soon get
out of hand and she is taken to prison. Esmeralda is sentenced to a public hanging after
her penance is performed at Notre Dame. As she is taken to the porch of Notre Dame
Cathedral, she spots Phoebus riding in the distance. He had not been killed. It was quite
the opposite; the stab simply wounded him. Immediately, Esmeralda called out but it was
hopeless, the assembled crowd awaiting execution was too loud. Consequently, she was
cursed. What appeared most devastating was that Phoebus was alive during the trial but
had said nothing, he did not wish to involve himself with such a trial. 
Upon arrival at the porch of the Cathedral, the gypsy was placed before Frollo to perform
penance. He instead offered her a proposition. She would receive her freedom if she would
be Frollo's lustful mistress. She refused to sign her soul over. Then as she was led to
the gallows, her savior, Quasimodo, appeared. In a great show of strength, Quasimodo
swings down from a rope on the Cathedral and swoops her off her feet. In a single bound,
Quasimodo returns to the confines of the cathedral declaring sanctuary. 
Despite the daring deed of Quasimodo and the safety measure he took to protect Esmeralda,
Frollo would still find her. Using a master key, he entered Quasimodo's cell and found
Esmeralda. Upon discovering Frollo, the hunchback seized him and dragged him out ordering
his master to leave. Though Frollo had been dealt with the vagabonds, he desired the
sorceress to be placed under their protection. However, unable to hear, the hunchback
perceived the mob wanted her execution. Quasimodo took immediate precautions. He had
bolted down the door, and now defended his home with downpours of rocks and molten lead,
and pushed over ladders. Likewise, the vagabonds perceived the onslaught as the church's
denial to their request and took equal precautions. The mighty hunchback killed hundreds
below. Although the gypsy within her cell seemed unattainable, Quasimodo, upon his return
to the room, found that she was gone. 
Frollo, manipulating the dim-whited Gringoire through his debt, had given him the key.
Frollo sent him in to convince Esmeralda that it was necessary that she disappear. The
perfidious fiend led her to none other than Frollo de Murillo. Frollo gave his obsession
a final chance. She would either die, or become his. But the brave Esmeralda valiantly
escaped his clutches. Unfortunately she fell into the hands of the soldiers sent to quell
the situation. 
The following morning, as Quasimodo continued to search desperately for his beloved, he
came upon Frollo laughing at the scene below. Inquisitive, Quasimodo looked down to find
Esmeralda, just as she was hanged. In a rage Quasimodo lifts Frollo and sends his former
master hurtling through the air to the street below. 
After the death of his master and his beloved, Quasimodo was never seen again. Years
later, the vault where several bodies were interred was opened and a woman's skeleton was
found together with that of a deformed male. The woman had a silk pouch around her neck,
analogous to Esmeralda's!