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
On the battlements of Notre Dame, Quasimodo loses hope of fending off the truants, who continue to besiege the cathedral. Suddenly a cry sounds below and the king’s guard, with Phoebus riding at the front, bursts into the square and attacks the rioters. The truants fight bravely and Clopin Troullefou cuts many soldiers down with his scythe. Eventually, the truants are overcome and they flee the square, leaving the dead behind.
In this situation, the truants represent both the inevitable passage of time and the ability of ordinary people to challenge powerful authorities. As society moves out of the medieval period, people will begin to lose interest in and, therefore, neglect, Gothic architecture, which is reflected in the truants’ disregard for the cathedral. However, rebellions like theirs will also be necessary to overthrow the monarchy later on.
Themes
Quasimodo sees that the guards have won and falls to his knees to give thanks. He then rushes to Esmeralda’s cell but, when he gets there, he finds it empty.
Although Quasimodo believes that the guards are on his side, the guards actually want to kill Esmeralda, because this is what they believe the people wanted when they started the riot. The multiple layers of misunderstanding here lead to tragedy, which reinforces the idea that it’s difficult (or even impossible) to know for sure why events happen or what their outcomes will be.
Themes
