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 arrives at the Place de Grève and realizes, bitterly, that the crowd around the bonfire is huge and that he cannot push through to get to warm. However, as he hovers at the back, he notices that the crowd is not watching the bonfire; a beautiful young girl dances in their midst and they watch her instead. Gringoire pushes through to get a closer look and he is amazed by the girl, who is so beautiful that she seems to be an “angel” or a “supernatural creature.” This is Esmeralda.
The Parisian crowds features heavily in the novel and reflect the idea that Paris is a crowded, bustling city, even in the medieval period. The ordinary people in the city far outnumber the nobles and officials who control them. Esmeralda is judged on her looks throughout the novel and is often believed to be supernatural because she is so beautiful. This suggests that medieval people are easily taken in by appearances, but also that they are superstitious and do not trust extremes of beauty or ugliness, as they feel that these are unnatural.
Themes
As Gringoire watches, Esmeralda’s hair falls from its braid and a coin drops to the ground. Gringoire realizes that she is a “gypsy” and that there is nothing magical about her. He enjoys her performance, however, and he is impressed when she begins to dance and spin two swords at the same time.
Gringoire’s superstitious belief about Esmeralda is dispelled by rational evidence—she is not an angelic creature, but rather a beautiful, human woman. Gringoire is one of the more rational characters in the novel and, though he is sometimes superstitious, he is often ready to take a rational explanation over a supernatural one.
Themes
Among the crowd, Gringoire notices a stern-looking man who stares at Esmerelda with an intense, passionate expression. He is a youngish man, but he has a very stern face and he has already begun to go bald. The man seems lost in thought, though his eyes are riveted on Esmeralda, and every now and then he lets out a mournful sigh. This is Claude Frollo. Esmeralda ends her performance and the people around her applaud.
Frollo is a passionate character and this is immediately demonstrated by his behavior towards Esmeralda. Even though he is in a crowd of people, his attention is focused solely on her, showing that Frollo is prone to intense and singular emotions.
Themes
Esmeralda calls her pet goat, Djali, and she sits down on the rug she has been dancing on. She holds out a tambourine to the goat and Djali counts out the month and the year with his little hoof. The crowd is amazed, but Frollo cries out that this is witchcraft. Esmeralda is shocked for a moment. She quickly recovers, however, and tells Djali to imitate the “captain of the pistoleers.” The crowd is greatly impressed by the likeness Djali achieves.
Superstition was not limited to common people in the medieval period; the Church was extremely dedicated to stamping out supernatural practices such as witchcraft and sorcery, as Frollo’s accusation here demonstrates.
Themes
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Djali then imitates a member of the church and the crowd falls about laughing. Frollo cries out that this is blasphemy and Esmeralda, who seems to recognize Frollo, quickly gathers up her things and begins to collect money from the crowd. She stops in front of Gringoire, who is embarrassed because he has nothing to give her.
The crowd enjoys Djali’s performance because he mocks the Church. The medieval Church was extremely powerful and could legally persecute and punish people for a variety of crimes. The Church, therefore, is an oppressive force in medieval people’s lives and they like to see it ridiculed, as this is a subtle form of rebellion.
Themes
Just at that moment, a shrill voice screams at Esmeralda to leave the square. It is a religious recluse who lives in a cell known as the “rat hole” in the Place de Grève. Gringoire slips away from Esmeralda while she is distracted and tries to get himself some food from the buffet. It is nearly empty, however, and Gringoire faces the gloomy prospect of no food and no bed for the night.
Religious recluses were common in the medieval period and often voluntarily lived lives of extreme physical deprivation and abstinence. Christian belief at the time maintained that worldly and sensual pleasures were sinful, whereas abstinence and restraint kept people pure and, therefore, holy. Gringoire is not concerned with being holy, however, and he does not care for the deprivation that his situation has forced him into.
Themes
In the middle of the square, Esmeralda begins to sing and Gringoire finds her song uplifting. The recluse breaks in again and chides Esmeralda. The crowd is about to turn on the recluse, but they are distracted when the “fool’s pope” parade re-enters the square. It has grown since it first left the Palace of Justice and many thieves and rogues have joined the party.
Although, individually, the people have limited power against the ruling classes, in large numbers they are quite a threatening force. The implication that they may turn on the recluse suggests that she may be in physical danger from them. This shows that people in large groups are, in fact, not powerless but strong.
Themes
On his litter, still at the center of the procession, Quasimodo enjoys the adulation and respect of the crowd. He has never experienced this before, and he does not care that the crowd respects him because they are afraid of him or that they worship him because he is the “fool’s pope.” As the crowd moves through the square, however, Frollo rushes out and tears Quasimodo’s mock crown from his head.
The crowd is alarmed—they assume that Quasimodo will hurt Frollo. Gringoire suddenly recognizes Frollo as the archdeacon of Notre Dame. Quasimodo leaps down from the litter and kneels before Frollo. Although Quasimodo is much stronger than Frollo, Frollo is commanding and signs to Quasimodo in a strange language he seems to understand.
Frollo and Quasimodo represent two extremes in the novel. Quasimodo is extremely physical—his life has been dictated by his appearance, which has left him alienated from society—while Frollo is extremely intellectual and strives to ignore his body and be spiritually pure, in line with his Christian duties as a priest. These extremes further represent the vast scope of human emotion and variation, which is recurring theme within the novel.
Themes
Frollo signals for Quasimodo to follow him and Quasimodo obeys. The thieves and rogues of the procession try to intimidate Frollo, but Quasimodo threatens them, and they pull away. Frollo leads Quasimodo across the square and the crowd parts to let them through. Gringoire thinks this is an amazing spectacle but he wonders where he will find something to eat.
In contrast to Frollo and Quasimodo, who represent extremes in the novel (Quasimodo is extremely physical, whereas Frollo is extremely intellectual), Gringoire has a very even temperament and is never subject to violent emotions. He takes only a passing interest in the strange scene and is more concerned with practical matters. In this way, Hugo shows the variety among people, which he tries to represent throughout the novel.
Themes
