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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
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 1831 illustration from the first edition of Hunchback |
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| Author | Victor Hugo |
|---|---|
| Original title | Notre-Dame de Paris |
| Illustrator | Alfred Barbou (original) |
| Country |  France |
| Language | French |
| Genre(s) | Romanticism |
| Publisher | Gosselin |
| Publication date | January 14, 1831 |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (original French title, Notre-Dame de Paris) is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. It is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The book tells the story of a poor Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo) who are both victimized by a corrupt priest (Claude Frollo). The book is largely a work of social criticism.
Contents |
Hugo was one day exploring Notre Dame Cathedral, when in one of the bell towers he discovered the Greek word "ANAГKH" carved into the stone wall. This word means "fate". Hugo became curious about who had carved this word and why. Unable to find any clues to the inscriber, the story of The Hunchback of Notre Dame began to form in his mind.
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 forced to delay due to other projects. By the summer of 1830, Gosselin demanded the book to be completed by February 1831. And so beginning in September of 1830, Hugo literally worked non-stop on the project. He bought a new bottle of ink, a woolen cloak, 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.
Hugo finished the book just as he was running out of ink. This tempted him to title the work What There Is in a Bottle of Ink.[1] He eventually decided against it and called the book Notre-Dame de Paris. English translations of the book are often titled The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which have led some to believe that Quasimodo is the main character. Hugo never liked this title, preferring the original Notre-Dame de Paris. He gave this title because he considered the cathedral itself to be the main "character" of the story. The story takes place around and inside the church, and Hugo spent much time describing the building as well as decrying its abandonment after the abuse it suffered during the French Revolution. (During the Revolution, the church had been viewed as a symbol of the old regime and was pillaged and vandalized by angry mobs.)
In fifteenth century Paris, the townspeople are celebrating the festival of Epiphany where Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is elected the King of Fools. His master, the archdeacon Claude Frollo ends his play, and as the two pass through the thieves quarter, Quasimodo attempts to kidnap the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda, with whom Frollo has grown increasingly obsessed. Esmeralda is saved by Captain Phoebus, with whom she falls madly in love. Quasimodo is put on trial for the attempted kidnapping of Esmeralda, and he is flogged. Afterwards, Esmeralda has pity on Quasimodo and brings him water to ease his suffering. At this time, we meet Sister Gudule, a recluse who blames all gypsies for the kidnapping of her child sixteen years ago.
Meanwhile, Phoebus seduces Esmeralda, in spite of the fact that he is marrying another woman. During a rendez-vous between Phoebus and Esmeralda, Frollo watches in secret. In a jealous rage, Frollo stabs Phoebus and flees. Esmeralda faints, and the arriving soldiers accuse her of the crime. Esmeralda is brought to trial and convicted for Phoebus' attempted murder. Frollo visits her in her cell and confesses his love. He offers to help her escape, but she believes Phoebus to be dead, and denounces Frollo as an assassin. Just before she is about to be hanged, Quasimodo dramatically storms down from the cathedral, takes her and runs back in, claiming the right of sanctuary. While at the cathedral, Esmeralda attempts unsuccessfully to overcome her revulsion of the hideous Quasimodo. Frollo tries to force himself on Esmeralda, but Quasimodo defends her. Esmeralda taunts Frollo.
The Parlement of Paris votes to strip Esmeralda of her sanctuary. In an attempt to save Esmeralda from the Parlement, the thief clans of Paris organize an assault on the cathedral. This leads to an enormous riot in which Quasimodo, unaware that the brigands were only trying to help Esmeralda, not harm her, flings down stones, timber, and molten lead. Esmeralda escapes with the playwright Gringoire and a disguised Frollo. Frollo reveals himself and demands her love in return for saving her life. When she refuses, Frollo tosses her to Sister Gudule and storms off to Notre Dame. While she initially calls for the guards, Sister Gudule realizes that Esmeralda is actually her long-lost daughter. Before the two can leave Paris and start a new life together, the mother conceals Esmeralda in a dark corner. However, at the mention Phoebus' name, Esmeralda jumps up excitedly, crying his name, and thus exposes her presence. Phoebus has departed, and witnesses none of the struggle. The soldiers cast down Sister Gudule and proceed to hang the gypsy girl. From the cathedral, Quasimodo sees Esmeralda hanged. He witnesses the dejected Frollo and realizes that the priest was the cause of the girl's death. In a fit of rage, Quasimodo hurls him off the balcony, after which the hunchback is never seen again.
The story ends centuries afterwards, as a group of the king's men find two skeletons locked in embrace among a mass grave. One is deformed and hunchbacked, and does not have a broken neck, indicating that he was not hanged, but came there voluntarily. When the men try to separate the skeletons, they crumble to dust.
Pierre Gringoire 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 or marry a Gypsy. Esmeralda is willing to marry him, although it turns out she did it only to save his life.
Clopin Trouillefou is the "King" of the band of the Gypsies and scalawags in Paris. He leads the attack on the cathedral in their attempt to liberate Esmeralda.
La Esmeralda is a Gypsy dancer. She is the center of the human drama within the story and is object of love (or lust) for both Quasimodo and Claude Frollo. She falls in love with Phoebus, and is later accused of murdering him.
Djali is Esmeralda's pet goat. She performs tricks that make people believe that Esmeralda is an enchantress.
Quasimodo is the hunchback of Notre Dame. He lives in the bell tower of Notre Dame and rings the bells, which have made him become deaf. When he was a hideous and abandoned baby, he was taken in by Claude Frollo. Quasimodo's life within the confines of the cathedral and his only two outlets - ringing the bells and his love and devotion for Frollo - are described. It is revealed in the story that the baby Quasimodo was left by the gypsies in place of Esmeralda, who they abducted.
Claude Frollo is the Archdeacon of Notre Dame. Despite his celibacy vows as a priest, he finds himself lusting after Esmeralda. He attempts to murder Phoebus. He is killed when he falls out of the cathedral. Frollo himself has only two outlets in life, his affection for his younger brother and his adopted son Quasimodo, and his love for sciences. These, as well as his depressing look and his refusal to be near women made the people of Paris shun him as a sorcerer.
Jehan Frollo is Claude Frollo's spoiled younger brother. He is a troublemaker and a student at the university. Quasimodo kills him during the siege of the cathedral.
Phoebus de Chateaupers is the captain of the King's Archers. He is loved by Esmeralda, but he does not return her feelings. His "murder" is the crime that Esmeralda is executed for.
Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier A wealthy socialite engaged to Phoebus.
Sister Gudule is a recluse. She is obsessed with her lost daughter, and devotes her life to mourning her. Her long lost daughter turns out to be Esmeralda.
Louis XI is the King of France.
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.
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 (literally, Our Lady of Paris) shows that the cathedral (and not Quasimodo) is the subject of the story. The book portrays the Gothic era as one of extremes of architecture, passion, and religion; which, despite being the cause of many problems, are seen by Hugo to be more authentic than the sentiments of his time. Like many of his other works, Hugo is also very concerned with social justice, and his descriptions of religious fanaticism are also examined. Another unique element of the book is the way in which Hugo changes the roles of protagonist and antagonist, hero and villain, between characters throughout the novel.
The enormous popularity of the book in France spurred the nascent historical preservation movement in that country and strongly encouraged Gothic revival architecture. Ultimately it led to major renovations at Notre-Dame in the 19th century led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Much of the cathedral's present appearance is a result of this renovation.
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, when the bookmaker near the beginning of the work speaks of "the German pest."
The name Quasimodo has become synonymous with "a courageous heart beneath a grotesque exterior." [2]
In an episode of The Sopranos, Bobby Baccalieri confuses world events and biblical prophecy by erroneously stating that "Quasimodo predicted all of this."
The most famous actor to play the lead role of the Hunchback was Vinchenzo Hooker a middle aged man who has since retired from theatre and rumour has it has become a police officer. Cast and crew from the film have been quoted to say "Vinchenzo played the role very naturally, no special effects were needed".
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has had a number of film adaptations:
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956 film)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
It has also appeared on TV numerous occasions:
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982 film)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986)
- Notre Dame de Paris (1999 musical TV version)
It was adapted for the stage by Nicholas DeBaubien.[3] A musical version was released in 1998. A second musical version, scored by Dennis DeYoung, will open in Chicago at the Bailiwick Reperatory in the summer of 2008 [4] Another musical version was written by Niko S. and Bonnie B. http://www.nikoplays.techno-source.org It taking a test run through in Maryland in 2008. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2007 musical)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is widely available in English language editions.
- 1978, USA, Penguin Classics ISBN 0140443533, Pub date 26 October 1978, paperback
- 2001, USA, Signet Classics ISBN 0451527887, Pub date 10 April 2001, paperback
- 2002, USA, Modern Library Classics ISBN 0679642579, Pub date 8 October 2002
- 2006, USA, Ann Arbor Media ISBN 1587264021, Pub date 14 July 2006, hard cover
- ^ Rebello, The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, p. 33
- ^ Webber, Elizabeth; Mike Feinsilber (1999). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions. Merriam-Webster, 592. ISBN 0877796289.
- ^ http://www.sacredfools.org/mainstage/97/hunchback/
- ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109735.html
5.http://www.nikoplays.techno-source.org
- 1831, The Hunchback of Notre Dame from the Victor Hugo Website
- Hugo, Victor. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996, Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 0-7607-0168-7.
- Rebello, Stephen. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996, Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-6208-4.
- The original French text at the French Wikisource
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame, available at Project Gutenberg.
- 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 diffused over the whole-that mixture of malice, astonishment, and melancholy. Let the reader, if he can, figure to himself this combination." (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)
