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 and his companions in the “Court of Miracles” are deeply concerned about Esmeralda. No one has seen her or Djali for several weeks. One afternoon, as Gringoire wanders past the Palace of Justice, he bumps into Jehan and asks him what is going on inside the court. Jehan replies that a witch is on trial for murdering a guard. Frollo is very busy with the case, which annoys Jehan because he wants to borrow more money.
The supernatural was often used to explain inexplicable events in this era, before the widespread availability of rational knowledge provided natural explanations for things. It will soon become clear that the so-called witch on trial is actually Esmeralda—and the reader already knows that magic had nothing to do with the attack on Phoebus.
Themes
Gringoire decides to go in and watch the trial. He joins the enormous crowd as it files up the steps into the hall. Many important figures from the king’s court are present on the jury and Gringoire wonders who the woman could be. The man beside him in the crowd points out that one of the judges is Jacques Charmolue. La Falourdel is among the witnesses and she stands up to testify.
Justice was a form of entertainment in the medieval period and people flocked to see trials because it gave them something to do. This suggests, however, that court cases were often performed for the spectacle and appearance of justice, rather than because anyone was really interested in seeing justice done.
Themes
La Falourdel explains that, one night when she was at her spinning wheel, two men came to her door. One was extremely handsome and the other was dressed all in black and had obscured his face. They paid La Falourdel for an upstairs room and La Falourdel put their coin in a drawer. After this, the handsome man went outside once more and brought in a beautiful young woman and a goat. La Falourdel hates goats because they are satanic and used by witches.
Like most people in medieval society, La Falourdel is extremely superstitious and believes in witchcraft, demons, and the supernatural. She is clearly describing the night that Phoebus seduced Esmeralda.
Themes
The handsome man and the girl went back upstairs and, not long after this, La Falourdel heard a splash outside her window. She rushed to the casement and saw a ghostly figure dressed as a priest leap into the river behind her house. A cry rang out from the upstairs room and La Falourdel rushed to investigate. When she entered the room, she found the young girl naked and the handsome man with a knife in his neck. The other man—who La Falourdel is sure was the phantom monk—was gone. When La Falourdel went to take the coin they had given her from the drawer the next day, she found that it had been turned into a dry leaf.
La Falourdel is extremely superstitious—like many medieval people—and she believes that there is a supernatural explanation for these events, rather than a rational one. But Hugo makes sure to remind the reader that nothing supernatural took place; the reader knows that a young boy stole the coin and replaced it with a leaf.
Themes
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Gringoire listens in horror, terrified by the tale of the phantom monk. One of the judges asks La Falourdel which of the two men gave her the coin and she replies that it was the handsome man. This shakes Gringoire’s conviction and a murmur runs through the crowd. Another judge insistently reminds them, however, that in Phoebus’s statement he revealed that the other man gave him the money. This proves that the money “comes from Hell.”
Although Gringoire is susceptible to superstition—like many medieval people—he also thinks rationally about things. Gringoire is an extremely moderate man and acts as a mediation point between all the extremes in the novel. Although he believes in supernatural events, he is also willing to consider a rational explanation. The judge, however, is not, which shows that the supernatural was taken seriously and used as a genuine reason to persecute and punish people in the medieval period.
Themes
At the mention of Phoebus’s name, the accused woman jumps up and begs the court to tell her if Phoebus is alive. Gringoire is horrified to see that the woman on trial is Esmeralda. The judges silence her and order the next witness to be brought in. The next witness is Djali. It was common in the medieval period to try to execute animals that were accused of witchcraft. When Djali enters the court, he immediately rushes to Esmeralda’s side. Esmeralda is stupefied with terror, however, and she ignores her pet.
The practice of trying animals was considered irrational by the 19th century, when Hugo was writing. Hugo suggests that, because the medieval justice system was built around these types of irrational beliefs, real justice was not possible because people could easily be convicted based on superstitious beliefs rather than rational evidence.
Themes
Jacques Charmolue approaches Djali with Esmeralda’s tambourine and shakes it. Djali immediately begins to do tricks and the crowd gasps with horror. Although they have all enjoyed Djali’s performance in the square, they are now convinced that Djali is a demon. Gringoire shouts out that it is just a trick, but the judge ignores him. Charmolue then tips out the bag of letters tied around Djali’s neck and the goat spells out the word “Phoebus.”
It is easy to manipulate the crowd because they are so superstitious. Charmolue has learned from Frollo, who has learned from Gringoire, that Djali responds to the tambourine, but the crowd assumes that Djali’s powers are supernatural. The judge goes along with the crowd’s superstitious reaction, which reinforces the idea that the justice system is hardly just.
Themes
One of the judges announces that this proves Esmeralda is a witch and that she lured Phoebus to his death with the help of the ghostly monk. Esmeralda protests, saying that she is stalked by a demonic priest and that he is the one who stabbed Phoebus. Jacques Charmolue suggests quietly to the judge that Esmeralda should be tortured, and the judge agrees. Gringoire watches in horror as Charmolue leads Esmeralda from the court.
The corrupt court uses the crowd’s superstitious beliefs against Esmeralda and easily convinces them that there is a supernatural explanation for events. But Esmeralda is superstitious herself, as shown by her belief that Frollo is a demon. This suggests that, although superstition often leads to unjust persecution, it’s also a normal and reasonable response to a world in which rational explanations were often unavailable.
Themes
