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
As the days go by, Esmeralda begins to feel her old love of life return despite her isolation. She listens to the sounds of the church around her and feels soothed by the bells. Her only regret is that Phoebus believes that she stabbed him. She blames herself for this because she confessed to the crime. Esmeralda is still deeply in love with Phoebus and tells herself that he must still love her, and that Fleur-de-Lys (whom she saw him with on the balcony) must be his sister. Quasimodo stays away from her and, although she tries to get used to his appearance, he is aware that she still finds him repulsive.
Esmeralda finds solace in Notre Dame as though the cathedral were a living presence. Esmeralda is fatally loyal to Phoebus and still believes, because he appears noble and dashing, that he will save her. Her fixation on him mirrors Frollo’s obsession with her, although in Esmeralda’s case she does not blame Phoebus for how she feels, even though he has deceived her by pretending to be in love with her.
Themes
One day, as Esmeralda looks down on the square, she sees Phoebus ride by on his horse. Esmeralda throws herself on her knees and cries out to him, but Phoebus does not hear her. He ties up his horse outside Fleur-de-Lys’s house. Quasimodo, who watches nearby, begins to weep and laments that one only needs to be handsome to gain the love of a beautiful woman. However, seeing Esmeralda’s distress, he approaches and asks if he can fetch Phoebus for her. Esmeralda urgently tells him she will love him if he does and Quasimodo sadly makes his way to the square.
Esmeralda helplessly looks down on Phoebus from the tower and the great distance between them represents the extreme distance between them emotionally—while Esmeralda desperately needs Phoebus’s help and still loves him, he has totally forgotten about her. In this sense, the architecture reflects the characters’ circumstances; Esmeralda is imprisoned by her feelings, while Phoebus walks freely. Quasimodo can see that Esmeralda is taken in Phoebus’s handsome appearance, but he does not blame her for this and still agrees to help her even though this causes him pain.
Themes
Phoebus has gone into Fleur-de-Lys’s house, where preparations for a wedding are underway. Quasimodo waits outside and Esmeralda watches from the tower above. At one point, Quasimodo looks up and sees Phoebus and Fleur-de-Lys on the balcony above him. Phoebus tries to kiss Fleur-de-Lys and she delicately pushes him away.
Fleur-de-Lys wants to protect her virtue from Phoebus. Sexual promiscuity, especially in women, was viewed as sinful in the medieval period, whereas purity was viewed as virtuous. Phoebus, however, does not care about the potential consequences for Fleur-de-Lys if he seduces and then abandons her, as he has done with Esmeralda.
Themes
At last, Phoebus emerges from the house and Quasimodo catches the reins of his horse. Phoebus tries to push Quasimodo away, but Quasimodo insists he wants to lead Phoebus to Esmeralda. Phoebus believes that Esmeralda is dead, so he thinks that Quasimodo must be a spirit or demon. Phoebus kicks Quasimodo in the chest and Quasimodo sadly lets him go.
Phoebus is extremely superstitious and, because of Quasimodo’s deformed appearance (and his own guilty conscience about Esmeralda), he jumps to the conclusion that the situation is supernatural rather than natural. This is a fatal misunderstanding, however, as Phoebus could easily clear Esmeralda’s name and free her from her incarceration in Notre Dame.
Themes
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Quasimodo returns to Esmeralda and tells her that Phoebus did not come out of the house. Esmeralda reproaches Quasimodo and says he should have waited all night. After this, Quasimodo does not come to see her in the cell anymore. She hears him singing a lament about how the beautiful only love beauty, although ugly things may also have value. One day he leaves a beautiful crystal vase of flowers on her windowsill. The vase is cracked, however, and the flowers have wilted and died. Beside this there is a lumpy clay pot, which contains a flourishing bouquet.
Quasimodo’s gift to Esmeralda symbolizes the idea that appearances can be deceiving. Esmeralda is in love with Phoebus who, although he appears handsome and dashing, is actually selfish and does not care about her. Quasimodo, however, although he is ugly and deformed, genuinely cares for Esmeralda and wants her to be free and happy. The two vases express the same idea: ugly things can hide goodness, and vice versa.
Themes
Esmeralda gathers up the wilted flowers and holds them to her breast. Although she does not see Quasimodo after this, one night she discovers that he sleeps on the ground outside her door and guards her while she sleeps.
Esmeralda chooses the dead flowers instead of the live ones and this suggests that she is destined for tragedy; she is fatally drawn to things that are beautiful, even if they clearly have a dark side.
Themes
