Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gothic Architecture, History, and Art
Lust, Sin, and Misogyny
Appearances, Alienation, and Hypocrisy
Fate and Predestination
The Supernatural, Rationalism, and Knowledge
Justice, Punishment, and Freedom
Summary
Analysis
Gringoire is dismayed because his play has been interrupted again. He wants to impress the Cardinal and the Flemish ambassadors, however, which is why he has written this flattering play about the Flemish princess. Gringoire knows that the nobility pays his wage and, moreover, he is a very moderate man who never dreams of offending anyone important. At this moment, however, Gringoire is caught up in admiring the beauty of his work and is very upset to be interrupted.
Gringoire is not a very principled character and is happy to write whatever he is told, for whoever pays his wages. This suggests that he does not have strong convictions about his fate—or how his life should turn out—and is happy to just let things happen, rather than try to control them.
Themes
The crowd is completely distracted. When the Cardinal appears on the platform, they all turn to look. The Cardinal is a cousin of King Louis XI, and he is a careful diplomat who has spent his life navigating conflicts between different noble groups. Overall, the Cardinal is a cheerful man who likes to drink and flirt with pretty women (he is very good-looking). The people of Paris like him.
The Cardinal is clearly a deceptive man and has spent his political career playing different political sides against each other. Despite this, the crowd are taken in by his appearance and believe he is benevolent because he is good-looking. This shows that people tend to favor attractive people and that an appealing appearance can disguise hypocrisy.
Themes
The crowd does not mind that the Cardinal has interrupted the play. They are all very impressed by his appearance. Members of the clergy follow the Cardinal into the hall. The students swear and jeer at them and insult the king as they pass. The students are happy because this is the one day of the year when they can speak their minds without fear of torture or execution. Jehan verbally attacks the Cardinal. Jehan’s brother, Claude Frollo, is the archdeacon of Notre Dame, so he feels he can get away with it. The Cardinal pays no attention, however, and he is distracted by the arrival of the Flemish ambassadors.
The crowd like the Cardinal because he is good-looking. This suggests that medieval society is easily taken in by appearances and tends to accept things at face value. At the same time, medieval Paris is clearly an oppressive society in which people cannot freely speak their minds or criticize powerful institutions without fear of punishment. The relaxed rules during the festival are a way to appease the populace, who might otherwise rebel against these oppressive conditions.
Themes
The Cardinal looks down on the Flemish ambassadors and finds them common. He knows how to flatter nobles, however, and prepares to welcome them graciously. The usher announces the names of these foreign dignitaries as they make their way into the hall. The Flemish ambassadors look sturdy and trustworthy. One figure, however, a wily-looking man named Guillaume Rym, stands out among them because of his devious looks.
The Cardinal looks down on the Flemish ambassadors because of how they present themselves—they appear common. This suggests that medieval French society is shallow and values appearances over behavior or internal values.
Themes
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