The Hunchback of Notre Dame novel and Disney film Wikipedia pages

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the Victor Hugo novel. For other uses, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame (disambiguation).
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Victor Hugo-Hunchback.jpg
Illustration from
Victor Hugo et son temps (1881)

Author
Victor Hugo
Original title
Notre-Dame de Paris
Translator
Frederic Shoberl (English)
Illustrator
Luc-Olivier Merson (original)
Country
France
Language
French
Genre
Romanticism, Gothic fiction
Publisher
Gosselin

Publication date
 14 January 1831
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is a French Romantic/Gothic novel by Victor Hugo published in January 14, 1831. The title refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on which the story is centered.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Synopsis
3 Characters
4 Major themes 4.1 Architecture
5 Literary significance and reception
6 Allusions and references 6.1 Allusions to actual history, geography and current science
6.2 Allusions in other works
7 Drama adaptations 7.1 Films
7.2 Television
7.3 Theatre
7.4 Music
7.5 Musical theatre
7.6 Ballet
7.7 Radio
8 Video games
9 Translation history
10 References 10.1 Notes
10.2 Bibliography
11 External links

Background[edit]
Victor Hugo began writing The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in 1829, largely to make his contemporaries more aware of the value of the Gothic architecture, which was neglected and often destroyed to be replaced by new buildings, or defaced by replacement of parts of buildings in a newer style. For instance, the medieval stained glass panels of Notre-Dame de Paris had been replaced by white glass to let more light into the church.[1] This explains the large descriptive sections of the book, which far exceed the requirements of the story. A few years earlier, Hugo had already published a paper entitled Guerre aux Démolisseurs (War to the Demolishers) specifically aimed at saving Paris' medieval architecture.[2] The agreement with his original publisher, Gosselin, was that the book would be finished that same year, but Hugo was constantly delayed due to the demands of other projects. In the summer of 1830 Gosselin demanded that Hugo complete the book by February 1831. Beginning in September 1830, Hugo worked nonstop on the project thereafter. The book was finished six months later.
Synopsis[edit]
The story begins on Epiphany (6 January), 1482, the day of the Feast of Fools in Paris, France. Quasimodo, a deformed hunchback who is the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, is introduced by his crowning as the Pope of Fools.
Esmeralda, a beautiful Gypsy street dancer with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire, a poor street poet, but especially Quasimodo and his adoptive father, Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame. Frollo is torn between his obsessive lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but the hunchback is captured by Phoebus and his guards, who save Esmeralda. Gringoire, witnessing all this, accidentally trespasses into the Court of Miracles, home of the Truands (criminals of Paris). He was about to be hanged under the orders of Clopin Trouillefou, the King of Truands, until Esmeralda saved his life by marrying him.
The following day, Quasimodo is sentenced to be flogged and turned on the pillory for one hour, followed by another hour's public exposure. He calls for water. Esmeralda, seeing his thirst, offers him a drink. It saves him, and she captures his heart.
Esmeralda is later charged with the attempted murder of Phoebus, whom Frollo actually attempted to kill in jealousy after seeing him trying to seduce Esmeralda, and is tortured and sentenced to death by hanging. As she is being led to the gallows, Quasimodo swings down by the bell rope of Notre Dame and carries her off to the cathedral under the law of sanctuary.
Frollo later informs Gringoire that the Court of Parliament has voted to remove Esmeralda's right to sanctuary so she can no longer seek shelter in the church and will be taken from the church and killed. Clopin hears the news from Gringoire and rallies the Truands to charge the cathedral and rescue Esmeralda.
When Quasimodo sees the Truands, he assumes they are there to hurt Esmeralda, so he drives them off. Likewise, he thinks the King's men want to rescue her, and tries to help them find her. She is rescued by Frollo and her phony husband Gringoire. But after yet another failed attempt to win her love, Frollo betrays Esmeralda by handing her to the troops and watches while she is being hanged.
When Frollo laughs during Esmeralda's hanging, Quasimodo pushes him from the heights of Notre Dame to his death. Quasimodo then heads for the Gibbet of Montfaucon beyond the city walls, passing by the Convent of the Filles-Dieu, a home for 200 reformed prostitutes, and the leper colony of Saint-Lazare. After reaching the Gibbet, he lies next to Esmeralda's corpse, where it had been unceremoniously thrown after the execution. He stays at Montfaucon, and eventually dies of starvation. About eighteen months later, the tomb is opened, and the skeletons are found. As someone tries to separate them, Quasimodo's bones turn to dust.
Characters[edit]
Quasimodo, the novel's protagonist, is the bell-ringer of Notre Dame and a barely verbal hunchback. Ringing the church bells has made him deaf. Abandoned as a baby, he was adopted by Claude Frollo. Quasimodo's life within the confines of the cathedral and his only two outlets — ringing the bells and his love and devotion for Frollo — are described. He ventures outside the Cathedral rarely, since people despise and shun him for his appearance. The notable occasions when he does leave are his taking part in the Festival of Fools — during which he is elected the Pope of Fools due to his perfect hideousness — and his subsequent attempt to kidnap Esmeralda, his rescue of Esmeralda from the gallows, his attempt to bring Phoebus to Esmeralda, and his final abandonment of the cathedral at the end of the novel. It is revealed in the story that the baby Quasimodo was left by the Gypsies in place of Esmeralda, whom they abducted.
Esmeralda (born Agnes) is a beautiful young gypsy street dancer who is naturally compassionate and kind. She is the center of the human drama within the story. A popular focus of the citizens' attentions, she experiences their changeable attitudes, being first adored as an entertainer, then hated as a witch, before being lauded again for her dramatic rescue by Quasimodo. When the King finally decides to put her to death, he does so in the belief that the Parisian mob wants her dead. She is loved by both Quasimodo and Claude Frollo, but falls deeply in love with Captain Phoebus, a handsome soldier who she believes will rightly protect her but who simply wants to seduce her. She is one of the few characteres to show the hunchback a moment of human kindness: as he is being whipped for punishment and jeered by a horrid rabble, she approaches the public stocks and gives him a drink of water. Because of this, he falls fiercely in love with her, even though she is too disgusted by his ugliness even to let him kiss her hand.
Claude Frollo, the novel's main antagonist, is the Archdeacon of Notre Dame. His dour attitude and his alchemical experiments have alienated him from the Parisians, who believe him a sorcerer. His parents having died of plague when he was a young man, he is without family save for Quasimodo, for whom he cares, and his spoiled brother Jehan, whom he attempts to reform towards a better life. In the 1923 movie Jehan is the villain despite Frollo's numerous sins of lechery, failed alchemy and other listed vices. His mad attraction to Esmeralda sets off a chain of events, including her attempted abduction and Frollo almost murdering Phoebus in a jealous rage, leading to Esmeralda's execution. Frollo is killed when Quasimodo pushes him off the cathedral.
Jehan Frollo is Claude Frollo's over-indulged younger brother. He is a troublemaker and a student at the university. He is dependent on his brother for money, which he then proceeds to squander on alcohol. Quasimodo kills him during the attack on the cathedral. He briefly enters the cathedral by ascending one of the towers with a borrowed ladder, but Quasimodo sees him and throws him down to his death.
Phoebus de Chateaupers is the Captain of the King's Archers. After he saves Esmeralda from abduction, she becomes infatuated with him, and he is intrigued by her. Already betrothed to the beautiful but spiteful Fleur-de-Lys, he wants to lie with Esmeralda nonetheless but is prevented when Frollo stabs him. Phoebus survives but Esmeralda is taken to be the attempted assassin by all, including Phoebus himself.
Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier is a beautiful and wealthy socialite engaged to Phoebus. Phoebus's attentions to Esmeralda make her insecure and jealous, and she and her friends respond by treating Esmeralda with contempt and spite. Fleur-de-Lys later neglects to inform Phoebus that Esmeralda has not been executed, which serves to deprive the pair of any further contact—though as Phoebus no longer loves Esmeralda by this time, this does not matter. The novel ends with their wedding.
Pierre Gringoire is a struggling poet. He mistakenly finds his way into the "Court of Miracles", the domain of the Truands. In order to preserve the secrecy, Gringoire must either be killed by hanging, or marry a Gypsy. Although Esmeralda does not love him, and in fact believes him a coward rather than a true man — unlike Phoebus, he failed in his attempt to rescue her from Quasimodo — she takes pity on his plight and marries him. But, because she is already in love with Phoebus, much to his disappointment, she will not let him touch her.
Sister Gudule, formerly named Paquette la Chantefleurie, is an anchoress, who lives in seclusion in an exposed cell in central Paris. She is tormented by the loss of her daughter Agnes, whom she believes to have been cannibalised by Gypsies as a baby, and devotes her life to mourning her. Her long-lost daughter turns out to be Esmeralda.
Louis XI is the King of France. Appears briefly when he is brought the news of the rioting at Notre Dame. He orders his guard to kill the rioters, and also the "witch" Esmeralda.
Tristan l'Hermite is a friend of King Louis XI. He leads the band that goes to capture Esmeralda.
Henriet Cousin is the city executioner, who hangs Esmeralda.
Florian Barbedienne is the judge who sentences Quasimodo to be tortured. He is also deaf.
Jacques Charmolue is Frollo's friend in charge of torturing prisoners. He gets Esmeralda to falsely confess to killing Phoebus. He then has her imprisoned.
Clopin Trouillefou is the King of Truands. He rallies the Court of Miracles to rescue Esmeralda from Notre Dame after the idea is suggested by Gringoire. He is eventually killed during the attack by the King's soldiers.
Pierrat Torterue is the torturer who tortures Esmeralda after her interrogation. He hurts Esmeralda so badly she falsely confesses, sealing her own fate. He was also the official who administered the savage flogging awarded to Quasimodo by Barbedienne.
Major themes[edit]
The novel's original French title, Notre-Dame de Paris (the formal title of the Cathedral) indicates that the Cathedral itself is the most significant aspect of the novel, both the main setting and the focus of the story's themes. With the notable exception of Phoebus and Esmeralda's meeting, almost every major event in the novel takes place within, atop, and around the outside of the cathedral, and also can be witnessed by a character standing within, atop, and around the outside of the cathedral. The Cathedral had fallen into disrepair at the time of writing, which Hugo wanted to point out. The book portrays the Gothic era as one of the extremes of architecture, passion, and religion. The theme of determinism (fate and destiny) is explored as well as revolution and social strife.[3]
The severe distinction of the social classes is shown by the relationships of Quasimodo and Esmeralda with higher-caste people in the book. Readers can also see a variety of modern themes emanating from the work including nuanced views on gender dynamics.[citation needed] For example, Phoebus objectifies Esmeralda as a sexual object. And, while Esmeralda is frequently cited as a paragon of purity — this is certainly how Quasimodo sees her — she is nonetheless seen to create her own objectification of the archer captain, Phoebus, that is at odds with readers' informed view of the man.
In the novel, Hugo introduces one of several themes in the preface and the first story of book one, titled “The Grand Hall.” This theme is the exploration of cultural evolution and how mankind has been able to almost seamlessly transmit its ideas from one era to another through literature, architecture, and art. Hugo explores the cultural evolution not only between medieval and modern France but also the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome, and he continues to elaborate on this theme throughout the entirety of the first book.
Another important theme in the novel is that a person cannot be judged by their looks or appearance. Since Frollo is a priest, a person would normally assume him to be a kind and righteous man. In truth, he is despicably cruel, manipulative, and evil. In contrast, most people judged Quasimodo to be the devil because of his disfigured outward appearance. Inside, however, he is filled with love and kindness. Esmeralda is also misjudged; because she is a gypsy, the people of Paris believe she is evil; but like Quasimodo, she is filled with love and kindness. Phoebus is good looking and handsome, but he is vain, selfish, villainous, and untrustworthy.
Before his story begins, Hugo establishes the theme of cultural evolution in the preface of the novel. Hugo writes that he had found the word "ANANKH" chiseled into the stone, but that it was later whitewashed over or scraped away. He continues, "These Greek capitals, black with age, and quite deeply graven in the stone, with I know not what signs peculiar to Gothic calligraphy imprinted upon their forms and upon their attitudes, as though with the purpose of revealing that it had been a hand of the Middle Ages which had inscribed them there, and especially the fatal and melancholy meaning contained in them, struck the author deeply." In chapter IV it is revealed that the word means "Fate."
In the preface, it is obvious that Hugo is already recognizing the cultural similarities between ancient and modern times. Hugo states that the ideas represented in the epochs and legends of ancient Greece are so similar to the ideas of the medieval world that it almost seems as if the ancient scribes were actually written by a medieval man himself. Hugo implies that the reason the two eras’ ideas are so similar is their transmission from one era to another through literature and the written word. In ancient Greece, epochs and legends were often inscribed on stone tablets. Since these ancient scribes have been passed down from generation to generation, they have become a very strong influence in the medieval world, a time in which ancient European works were celebrated and cherished. Also, the idea of printing literature on a medium for one to read was transmitted through both eras. However, instead of being inscribed on stone tablets, literature was printed of paper and parchment starting in the medieval era.
In this example, Hugo describes the importance of architecture and how it is an indication of a society’s values and ideals. The ornate and illustrious architecture that lies in ruins in Paris indicates the society’s dying passion for enrichment, art, and beauty. This passion is regenerated during the Renaissance, in which ancient art and lifestyles were revered. Again, Hugo gives credit to the more ancient societies for this inherent passion. Hugo states that although the original structures and buildings of ancient France may be decrepit or in ruins, it is their architectural beauty that inspired the gothic style of the medieval era. Hugo acknowledges this inspiration when he states: “The word Gothic, in the sense in which it is generally employed, is wholly unsuitable, but wholly consecrated. Hence we accept it and we adopt it, like all the rest of the world, to characterize the architecture of the second half of the Middle Ages, where the ogive is the principle which succeeds the architecture of the first period, of which the semi-circle is the father.”
The theme of Book One of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was cultural evolution. Hugo wants to show how people of the world can show their ideals and those from earlier eras through literature and technology. Hugo continues to strengthen the idea of cultural evolution between eras of time. Hugo argues that there is another way in which ideas are passed on between different cultures and eras, and it is through architecture or literature. In Chapter One of Book One, Hugo continues to strengthen the idea of cultural evolution between eras of time. Hugo argues that there is another way in which ideas are transmitted between different cultures and eras, and it is through architecture. Setting and architecture are very prominent in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hugo often goes into great detail describing the buildings and monuments of medieval Paris. Hugo relates these structures and their architectures back to their gothic roots, which date back to ancient times. In one lengthy description, Hugo states: “...very little remains of that first dwelling of the kings of France...What has time, what have men done with these marvels? What have they given us in return for all this Gallic history, for all this Gothic art? The heavy flattened arches of M. de Brosse, that awkward architect of the Saint-Gervais portal. So much for art; and, as for history, we have the gossiping reminiscences of the great pillar, still ringing with the tattle of the Patru.” Throughout the entirety of the Book One, Hugo puts great emphasis on the transmission of ideas from one era to another through literature, architecture, and art. Hugo had a passion for the Gothic architecture of medieval France and therefore he establishes an emotionally nostalgic tone toward Gothic art that is apparent throughout the novel.
In Book Two of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo spotlights many forms of loyalty. Quasimodo displays incredible devotion to the priest in Chapter Three; he “remain[s] on his knees, with head bent and hands clasped” in front of the priest. In Chapter Four, the police squad represents allegiance to the king when its members make their rounds in the streets of Paris. During these patrols, they surround Quasimodo and rescue the gypsy who had become his prey. The gypsy’s goat is also a symbol of loyalty. It continues to follow her steadfastly, even when Quasimodo has her captive and when the gypsy flees from the squad. The three knaves take Gringoire to their ‘king,’ a beggar to whom they remain unbelievably subservient. Esmeralda shows commitment to mankind when she marries Gringoire for the sole purpose of saving his life; even though she does not love him, she wants him to survive. Gringoire is so dedicated to poetry and philosophy that the very mention of “perhaps” or a mysterious notion is enough to give him a surge of courage or curiosity, respectively. He gives Frollo credit for all of his intelligence and success and stays loyal to him by making verbal tribute to him when he says, “It is to him that I to-day owe it that I am a veritable man of letters.” Loyalty is a crucial topic in Hugo’s second book within The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its existence and importance are represented in a variety of ways.
In Book Three, Chapter One has the theme of change from time. Book Three focuses on the Cathedral Church of Paris, and its appearance as time has worn it. The narrator describes the cathedral as a place once of beauty, now crumbling as time has passed. Stained-glass windows have been replaced with “cold, white panes” and it becomes clear that the narrator looks on the changes of the church sourly (Hugo). Improvements and modifications of the great cathedral have in a sense lessened its internal value. Staircases have been buried under the soil of the bustling city, and statues have been removed. The passing time brought immense change to the church, often in negative ways. Eras have scarred this church in ways that cannot be healed. The narrator describes, “Fashions have wrought more harm than revolutions,” (Hugo). The modifications and alterations to the cathedral are an unfortunate mark of change in time; the main theme of Book Three.
A theme that occurs in the Book Four of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is love. Love can exist in many forms. Love between mother and child, love between one and his hobby, and love between one and an object are relationships that are all present in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Claude Frollo is the priest of Notre Dame. Growing up, he was a very intelligent boy. He was fascinated by science and medicine. He had a love of learning; it was his passion. Later in the story he even turns to science and studying when he feels his life is going downhill. Learning was Frollo’s love until the day his parents died, and he adopted his baby brother, Jehan. Then he realized “that a little brother to love sufficed to fill an entire existence.” Frollo put all of his focus into caring for Jehan, and he loved him unconditionally. He also adopted another child later named Quasimodo, for the very reason that “if he were to die, his dear little Jehan might also be flung miserably on the plank for foundlings,--all this had gone to his heart simultaneously; a great pity had moved in him, and he had carried off the child.” Although the child was hideous and no one else wanted him, Frollo promised to care for him and love him always, as he did with his brother. Quasimodo’s ugliness only strengthened Frollo’s love for him. When the foundling grew up, he was given the position of bell ringer by his master, Frollo. “He loved them [the bells], fondled them, talked to them, understood them.” Quasimodo loved his bells; his most beloved bell was named Marie (the largest one). Quasimodo also loved his father, Frollo. After all, he “had taken him in, had adopted him, had nourished him, had reared him…had finally made him the bellringer.” Even when Frollo was unkind to Quasimodo, he still loved him very much. In Book 4, a love between father and son is seen. Frollo loved both of his adopted “babies” very much, and everyone had objects and hobbies that they loved dearly too; Frollo loved to learn, and Quasimodo loved his cathedral bells.
The theme of Chapters One and Two of Book Five is that the new technologies being created during this time period were going to destroy the knowledge of the past, and hide it forever from the generations to come. France, at the time Hugo was writing this piece, was in a time of rebuilding after the French Revolution. The people began to split into two different parts; one was for the republic of France and the other was against. Many changes were occurring during this time, and people were unsure of where to fall. "The book will kill the edifice," is a quote Hugo bases much of this chapter on. "The press will kill the church." The quote in full means that the printing press, a new invention, will overpower the church. In Hugo's writing he says, "In the first place, it was a priestly thought. It was the affright of the priest in the presence of a new agent, the printing press. It was the terror and dazzled amazement of the men of the sanctuary, in the presence of the luminous press of Gutenberg." The church was afraid that once the printing press was in full swing the people of France would no longer come and listen to the priests, but rely on the paper. The citizens of France begin to change their views and opinions about what they had been taught from previous decades. The printing press was a new advancement for the common people, and having a machine that could print hundreds of copies of the same written work was an amazement. The printing press was going to overthrow the church and its influence in the people's lives. "Printing will kill architecture," was another point that Hugo wrote about. Architecture was a way that people communicated. Hugo says, "...the first and most simple one, no doubt, there was in our opinion another, newer one, a corollary of the first, less easy to perceive and more easy to contest, a view as philosophical and belonging no longer to the priest alone but to the savant and the artist. It was a presentiment that human thought, in changing its form, was about to change its mode of expression; that the dominant idea of each generation would no longer be written with the same matter, and in the same manner;..." Because the priests were high, and mostly in charge of French society, they controlled much of the architecture as well. The priests were able to communicate through the buildings, because many of the edifices in France were religious monuments. The printing press was going to be a new way of communication which would erase the past from present thoughts. The printing press would take over society and the citizens would no longer admire what was once thought of as magnificent art, but disregard it as just another structure in the place where they lived. The major theme that is present in Book Five is that "The printing press destroys architecture". Hugo says that "Architecture is the great book of humanity." Before the printing press ideas were transmitted through architecture since books could not be easily mass-produced and large important buildings are well known. Hugo also states that "Architecture is the hand writing of the human race". So it would be easy to spread an idea by integrating it into the architecture of a building. The invention of the printing press changed that since now books could be easily mass-produced. It is easier to spread ideas through printed text rather than integrating it into the architecture of a building. It is by this principle that Hugo means that the printing press will destroy architecture, since architecture will no longer have the meaning as a major way of construing ideas. Architecture will then only be a form of art and not the sole method of transferring an idea from place to place.
One theme that is present throughout literature is that love can have very negative effects on those who are a part of it. This theme is very evident in Book Eleven because all of love's destructive characteristics come to fruition. The unrelenting love that Esmeralda has for Phoebus leads to her death when she can not help but call out to him while she is in hiding from the King’s soldiers, who capture her and take her to the gallows. The madness and moral decline of Frollo brought about by his obsessive love for Esmeralda leads to his death when Quasimodo throws him off of the bell tower when he laughs at the death of Esmeralda. "And with a hurried step - making her hurry too, for he never let go of her arm - he went straight up to the gibbet, and pointing to it, “Choose between us,” he said coolly. She tore herself from his grasp, fell at the foot of the gibbet, and clasped that dismal supporter; then she half turned her beautiful head, and looked at the priest over her shoulder. She had the air of a Madonna at the foot of the cross. The priest had remained quite still, his finger still raised to the gibbet, and his gesture unchanged, like a statue. At length the gypsy girl said to him, 'It is less horrible to me than you are'." This excerpt from the novel exemplifies the desperation that Frollo has in his love for Esmeralda and the passionate feelings for Phoebus that Esmeralda has, because she would rather die than be with someone else. Another example of love being detrimental to those involved is in the love that Quasimodo has for Esmeralda. This can be seen when he says, “Oh - all that I’ve ever loved!” after seeing the body of Frollo on the ground below the tower and the body of Esmeralda hanging in the distance. This quote helps to show that all of the love in his life has been taken from him. This deadly potential that love can have then catches up with him when his pure yet obsessive love for Esmeralda leads him to take his own life by joining her in her grave and starving himself to death rather than continuing to live without his love.
Architecture[edit]
Architecture is a major concern of Hugo's in Notre-Dame de Paris, not just as embodied in the cathedral itself, but as representing throughout Paris and the rest of Europe an artistic genre which, Hugo argued, was about to disappear with the arrival of the printing press. Claude Frollo's portentous phrase, ‘Ceci tuera cela’ ("This will kill that", as he looks from a printed book to the cathedral building), sums up this thesis, which is expounded on in Book V, chapter 2. Hugo writes that ‘quiconque naissait poète se faisait architecte’ ("whoever was born a poet became an architect"), arguing that while the written word was heavily censored and difficult to reproduce, architecture was extremely prominent and enjoyed considerable freedom.

Il existe à cette époque, pour la pensée écrite en pierre, un privilège tout-à-fait comparable à notre liberté actuelle de la presse. C'est la liberté de l'architecture.
There exists in this era, for thoughts written in stone, a privilege absolutely comparable to our current freedom of the press. It is the freedom of architecture.
—Book V, Chapter 2
With the recent introduction of the printing press, it became possible to reproduce one's ideas much more easily on paper, and Hugo considered this period to represent the last flowering of architecture as a great artistic form. As with many of his books, Hugo was interested in a time which seemed to him to be on the cusp between two types of society.[4]
The major theme of the third book is that over time the cathedral has been repaired, but the repairs and additions have made the cathedral worse: "And who put the cold, white panes in the place of those windows" and "...who substituted for the ancient Gothic altar, splendidly encumbered with shrines and reliquaries, that heavy marble sarcophagus, with angels' heads and clouds" are a few examples of this. This chapter also discusses how, after repairs to the cathedral after the French Revolution, there was not a significant style in what was added. It seems as if the new architecture is actually now uglier and worse than it was before the repairing.
Literary significance and reception[edit]
Hugo introduced with this work the concept of the novel as Epic Theatre. A giant epic about the history of a whole people, incarnated in the figure of the great cathedral as witness and silent protagonist of that history. The whole idea of time and life as an ongoing, organic panorama centered on dozens of characters caught in the middle of that history. It is the first novel to have beggars as protagonists.
Notre Dame de Paris was the first work of fiction to encompass the whole of life, from the King of France to Paris sewer rats, in a manner later co-opted by Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert and many others, including Charles Dickens. The enormous popularity of the book in France spurred the nascent historical preservation movement in that country and strongly encouraged Gothic revival architecture. Ultimately it led to major renovations at Notre-Dame in the 19th century led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Much of the cathedral's present appearance is a result of this renovation.
Allusions and references[edit]
Allusions to actual history, geography and current science[edit]
In The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo makes frequent reference to the architecture of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. He also mentions the invention of the printing press, when the bookmaker near the beginning of the work speaks of "the German pest."
In 2010, British archivist Adrian Glew discovered references to a real-life hunchback who was a foreman of a government sculpting studio in Paris in the 1820s who worked on post-Revolution restorations to the Cathedral.[5]
Allusions in other works[edit]
The name Quasimodo has become synonymous with "a courageous heart beneath a grotesque exterior."[6]
Drama adaptations[edit]
To date, all of the film and TV adaptations have strayed somewhat from the original plot, some going as far as to give it a happy ending, as in the classic 1939 film starring Charles Laughton as Quasimodo and Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda (although Quasimodo loses her to Gringoire in this version). The 1956 French film, starring Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida, is one of the few versions to end almost exactly like the novel, although it changes other sections of the story. Unlike most adaptations, the 1996 Disney version has an ending that is inspired by an opera created by Hugo himself.
Films[edit]
Esmeralda (1905 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911 film)
The Darling of Paris
Esmeralda (1922 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
The Hunchback (1997 film)
Quasimodo d'El Paris
Television[edit]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1966 miniseries)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977 miniseries)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986 film)
The Magical Adventures of Quasimodo
Esmeralda, an upcoming ABC TV series[7]
Theatre[edit]
In 1977, an adaptation by Ken Hill was commissioned and staged by the National Theatre in London.
In 2010, an adaptation by Pip Utton was staged at The Pleasance as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2012, an adaptation by Belt Up Theatre was staged in Selby Abbey.
In 2013, an adaptation by James Villafuerte was staged in Tanghalang Pasigueño Villa Teatro
In 2013, an English adaptation of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame by The King's Academy Fine Arts Department was staged in The King's Academy Sports & Fine Arts Center
Music[edit]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Alec R. Costandinos and the Syncophonic Orchestra from 1977, a lush orchestral disco 28 minute epic re-telling the tale of Quasimodo and Esmeralda.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 recording of music written by Styx singer Dennis DeYoung for his musical adaptation of the novel.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the soundtrack to the 1996 Disney film, released by Walt Disney Records.
Musical theatre[edit]
La Esmeralda, opera by Louise Bertin (1836), libretto by Victor Hugo.
Esmeralda, opera by Alexander Dargomyzhsky (1847) based on the Victor Hugo novel.
Esmeralda, opera by Arthur Goring Thomas (1883), also based on the same Victor Hugo novel.
Notre Dame, romantic Opera in two acts by Franz Schmidt, text after Victor Hugo by Schmidt and Leopold Wilk; composed: 1902-4, 1st perf.: Vienna 1914.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1993), an Off Broadway musical with music by Byron Janis, lyrics by Hal Hackady and book by Anthony Scully.[8]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1993), a dramatic sung-through musical with book and lyrics by Gary Sullivan and music by John Trent Wallace.[9] After a production at the Mermaid Theatre in London it was published by Samuel French Ltd in 1997 and has received several UK productions as well as productions in New Zealand and Australia. In 2010 it was re-written as a conventional musical, with the new title Notre Dame.[10]
El Jorobado de París (1993), an Argentinian sung-through musical with book and lyrics by Pepe Cibrián Campoy and music by Ángel Mahler. Two revised versions opened in 1995 and 2006.
In 1998, Notre-Dame de Paris opened in Paris and became an instant success. It is considered the most successful adaptation of any novel except for "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Misérables." It was also adapted for the stage by Nicholas DeBaubien.[11]
From 1999 to 2002, the Disney film was adapted into a darker, more Gothic musical production called Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (translated in English as The Bellringer of Notre Dame), re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by the Disney theatrical branch, in Berlin. A cast recording was also recorded in German.[12] There has been discussion of an American revival of the musical.
A rock musical version was released in Seattle, Washington in 1998 titled "Hunchback" with music and script by C. Rainey Lewis.[13]
A musical version, scored by Dennis DeYoung, opened in Chicago at the Bailiwick Repertory in the summer of 2008.[14]
A re-adaptation of the piece entitled "Our Lady of Paris" with music and lyrics by David Levinson and book by Stacey Weingarten was produced in a reading format in Manhattan. It re-sets the action to 1954 at the beginning of the French Algerian conflict. Directed by Donna Drake, Music Directed by Mark Hartman, starring Michael Barr, Matt Doyle, Adam Halpin, Sevan Greene, Nadine Malouf, Megan Reinking and Price Waldman. After the first reading the piece underwent revisions; a second reading was produced in January 2011 under the musical's new title, Les Enfants de Paris.
Notre-Dame de Paris is an operatic melodrama by Zigmars Liepiņš based on the novel.
Ballet[edit]



 The ballerina Virginia Zucchi in the ballet La Esmeralda. St. Petersburg, 1886La Esmeralda (1844) - choreography by Jules Perrot, music by Cesare Pugni. First performed at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. The ballet has a long performance history in Russia via the revivals of the choreographer Marius Petipa in St. Petersburg throughout the late 19th century.
Gudule’s Daughter, or Esmiralda (1902) – choreography by Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky, music by Antoine Simon
Notre-Dame de Paris (1965) – choreography by Roland Petit, first performed by the Paris Opera Ballet.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1998) – choreography and direction by Michael Pink and original music score by Philip Feeney; currently in the repertoire of Milwaukee Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Colorado Ballet.
Ringaren i Notre Dame (The Bellringer of Notre Dame; 2009) – choreography by Pär Isberg and original music score by Stefan Nilsson, first performed on Friday, April 3, by the Royal Swedish Ballet.
Radio[edit]
The book was twice adapted and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 as its Classic Serial:
in 5 parts from 6 January to 3 February 1989, with Jack Klaff as Quasimodo
in 2 parts on 30 November and 7 December 2008, with deaf actor David Bower playing Quasimodo.
Video games[edit]
Hunchback, a 1983 arcade video game an arcade game developed by Century Electronics, starring Quasimodo.
Translation history[edit]
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame has been translated into English many times. Translations are often reprinted in various imprints. Some translations have been revised over time.
1833. Translated by Frederic Shoberl as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Later revisions.
1833. Translated by William Hazlitt as Notre Dame: A Tale of the Ancien Regime. Later revisions.
1888. Translated by Isabel F. Hapgood as Notre-Dame de Paris.
1895. Translated by M.W. Artois et al., part of the 28-vol The Novels of Victor Hugo, re-printed in the 20th century under other titles.
1956. Translated by Lowell Bair, for Bantam Books and included in Bantam Classics
1964. Translated by Walter J. Cobb. In multiple editions, see for example Signet Classics ISBN 0-451-52788-7
1978. Translated by John Sturrock. In multiple editions, see for example Penguin Classics ISBN 0-14-044353-3
1993. Translated by Alban J. Krailsheimer as Notre-Dame de Paris. See Oxford World's Classics ISBN 978-0-19-955580-2
2002. Revised translation by Catherine Liu of an anonymous 19th century translation. See Modern Library Classics ISBN 0-679-64257-9
2006. Translated by Mary Grace M. Ada as Notre-Dame de Paris. See Oxford World's Classics ISBN 978-0-19-955580-2
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Cathédrale_Notre-Dame_de_Paris".
2.Jump up ^ "Notre-Dame de Paris (roman)".
3.Jump up ^ "Sparknotes.com". Sparknotes.com. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
4.Jump up ^ "Online-literature.com". Online-literature.com. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
5.Jump up ^ "Real-life Quasimodo uncovered in Tate archives", Roya Nikkhah, The Daily Telegraph, 15 August 2010
6.Jump up ^ Webber, Elizabeth; Mike Feinsilber (1999). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions. Merriam-Webster. p. 592. ISBN 0-87779-628-9.
7.Jump up ^ http://screenrant.com/hunchback-notre-dame-esmeralda-tv-series-show-abc-2013/
8.Jump up ^ "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Lortel.org. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
9.Jump up ^ "Johntrentwallace.com". Johntrentwallace.com. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
10.Jump up ^ "Notre-dame.co.uk". Notre-dame.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
11.Jump up ^ Mainstage 1997 – Nicholas De Beabien's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, sacred.fools.org
12.Jump up ^ Collins, Suzanne. "Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
13.Jump up ^ "Hunchback". Hunchback. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
14.Jump up ^ "Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical By Styx Front-Man to Play Chicago's Bailiwick". Playbill. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
Bibliography[edit]
Rebello, Stephen. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 ed.). Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-6208-4.
Pascal Tonazzi, Florilège de Notre-Dame de Paris (anthologie), Editions Arléa, Paris, 2007, ISBN 2-86959-795-9.
External links[edit]

Portal icon France portal
Portal icon French and Francophone literature portal
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Notre-Dame de Paris (Victor Hugo).
 Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Internet Archive and Google Books, multiple English translations (scanned books original editions color illustrated)
Notre-Dame De Paris at Project Gutenberg, 1888 English translation by Isabel Florence Hapgood (plain text and HTML)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at LibriVox, 1888 English translation by Isabel Florence Hapgood (audiobook)
Notre Dame de Paris Harvard Classics
(French) Notre-Dame de Paris at Wikisource (HTML)


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo


Characters
Quasimodo ·
 Esmeralda ·
 Claude Frollo ·
 Captain Phoebus ·
 Clopin Trouillefou ·
 Pierre Gringoire
 
Bourdon-notre-dame-paris-tour-sud.jpg


Films
Esmeralda (1905) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911) ·
 The Darling of Paris (1917) ·
 Esmeralda (1922) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1966) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) ·
 The Hunchback (1997) ·
 Quasimodo d'El Paris (1999) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002)
 

Other adaptations
La Esmeralda (1836 opera) ·
 La Esmeralda (1844 ballet) ·
 Notre-Dame de Paris (1998 musical) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1999 musical)
 

Parodies
Mad Monster Party? (1967) ·
 Hotel Transylvania (2012)
 

Music
"The Bells of Notre Dame" ·
 "Out There" ·
 "Topsy Turvy" ·
 "God Help the Outcasts" ·
 "Heaven's Light" ·
 "Hellfire" ·
 "A Guy Like You" ·
 "The Court of Miracles" ·
 "Someday"
 

 


Categories: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
1831 novels
Novels set in the Middle Ages
French novels adapted into films
Novels by Victor Hugo
19th-century novels
19th-century French novels
Novels set in Paris
Novels about cities
Cathedrals in fiction
Ballets by Roland Petit
Notre Dame de Paris










Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
العربية
Azərbaycanca
Български
Català
Čeština
Dansk
Deutsch
Eesti
Ελληνικά
Español
Euskara
فارسی
Français
한국어
Հայերեն
Hrvatski
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Lietuvių
Magyar
Македонски
Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Simple English
Slovenčina
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last modified on 24 July 2014 at 20:26.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre-Dame










The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Page semi-protected

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hunchbackposter.jpg
North American release poster, designed by John Alvin[1]

Directed by
Gary Trousdale
Kirk Wise
Produced by
Don Hahn
Written by
Tab Murphy
Irene Mecchi
 Bob Tzudiker
 Noni White
Jonathan Roberts
Based on
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
 by Victor Hugo
Starring
Tom Hulce
Demi Moore
Tony Jay
Kevin Kline
Paul Kandel
Jason Alexander
Charles Kimbrough
Mary Wickes
David Ogden Stiers
Music by
Alan Menken
Edited by
Ellen Keneshea
Production
   company
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s)
June 21, 1996

Running time
91 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$100 million[2]
Box office
$325,338,851[2]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The 34th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is based on Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. The plot centers on Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame and his struggle to gain acceptance into society.
The film is directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale and produced by Don Hahn. The songs for the film were composed by Alan Menken and written by Stephen Schwartz, and the film features the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers, Tony Jay, and Mary Wickes (in her final film role). Produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance, the film is considered to be one of Disney's darkest animated films due to its mature themes, similar to films such as The Black Cauldron[3] and released during the same period of time in the 1990s that the first-run episodes of Disney's still-popular Gargoyles, with a similar degree of "darkness" in its own storyline, were airing on American television.
A darker, more Gothic stage adaptation of the film, was re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical in Berlin, Germany, as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, and ran from 1999 to 2002. A direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released in 2002.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Voice Cast
3 Production 3.1 Production troubles
3.2 Music
4 Themes
5 Release 5.1 Marketing
5.2 Reception
5.3 Box office
5.4 Accolades
5.5 Other achievements
5.6 Home media
6 Adaptations 6.1 Stage musical
6.2 Sequels and spin-offs
6.3 Video games
6.4 Other media
7 References
8 External links

Plot
In 1482 Paris, Clopin, a gypsy puppeteer, narrates the origin of the titular hunchback. A group of gypsies sneak illegally into Paris, but are ambushed by Judge Claude Frollo, the minister of justice, and his guards. A gypsy woman in the group attempts to flee with her deformed baby, but Frollo pursues and kills her outside Notre Dame. He tries to kill the baby as well, saying that it is an "unholy demon" from Hell, but is confronted by the cathedral's archdeacon, who accuses Frollo of murdering an innocent woman. To atone for his sin, Frollo agrees to raise the deformed child in Notre Dame as his son, naming him Quasimodo.
Twenty years later, Quasimodo develops into a kind yet isolated young man who dreams of seeing life outside the bell tower, but is told by Frollo that he is a monster and would be rejected by the outside world. A trio of living stone gargoyles: Hugo, Victor, and Laverne serve as Quasimodo's only company and friends. The gargoyles encourage Quasimodo to attend the annually-held Festival of Fools. He tries to go but is stopped by Frollo who says he should stay inside the bell tower. Despite Frollo's advisories, Quasimodo attends the festival and he is celebrated for his bizarre appearance, only to be humiliated by the crowd after Frollo's men start a riot. Frollo refuses to help Quasimodo, but Esmeralda, a kind gypsy, intervenes and frees the hunchback, and uses a magic trick to evade arrest. Frollo confronts Quasimodo and sends him back inside the cathedral.
Esmeralda follows Quasimodo inside, but is followed by Captain Phoebus, one of Frollo's guard. Phoebus does not approve of Frollo's methods and refuses to arrest her for alleged witchcraft inside Notre Dame and has her confined to the cathedral. Esmeralda, encouraged by the Archdeacon, offers a prayer to God to help her and the outcasts. In the bell tower, Esmeralda finds and befriends Quasimodo, who helps her escape Notre Dame out of gratitude for defending him. She entrusts Quasimodo with a pendant containing a map to the gypsies' hideout, the Court of Miracles. Frollo soon develops lustful feelings for Esmeralda and upon realizing them, Frollo begs the Virgin Mary (referring to her as Maria) to save him from her "spell" to avoid eternal damnation. After Frollo learns of Esmeralda's escape from the cathedral, he conducts a city-wide manhunt for her involving burning down numerous houses which he suspects would shelter gypsies in his way. Phoebus, now realizing Frollo's evil reputation, defies him after being ordered to burn down the home of an innocent family and is sentenced to death, but flees. Phoebus is shot with an arrow and falls into a river, but Esmeralda rescues him and takes him to Notre Dame for refuge. The gargoyles try to help Quasimodo feel better about himself, assuring him that Esmeralda would love him. Unfortunately, this is proven wrong as Esmeralda and Phoebus have fallen for one another.
Frollo returns to Notre Dame later that night and realizes that Quasimodo helped Esmeralda escape. He bluffs to Quasimodo saying that he knows about the Court of Miracles and that he intends to attack at dawn. Using the map Esmeralda gave to him, Quasimodo and Phoebus find the court to warn the gypsies. However, Frollo follows them and he captures all the gypsies present. Frollo prepares to burn Esmeralda at the stake after refusing his advances, but Quasimodo, chained up inside the Bell Tower, manages to break free and rescue her in time, bringing her to the cathedral. Phoebus then frees himself and the gypsies and rallies the citizens of Paris against Frollo and his men, who attempt to break into the cathedral. Quasimodo and the gargoyles pour molten copper onto the streets to ensure no one enters, but Frollo successfully breaks in. He pursues Quasimodo and Esmeralda to the balcony where both he and Quasimodo fall over the edge. Frollo falls to his death in the molten copper, while Quasimodo is caught in time by Phoebus on a lower floor. Afterward, Quasimodo comes to accept that Phoebus and Esmeralda are in love, and he gives them his blessing. They then encourage him to leave the cathedral into the outside world, where the citizens hail him as a hero and accept him into society as the gargoyles proudly watch from above.
Voice Cast
Tom Hulce as Quasimodo – The physically deformed hunchback bell-ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He is frequently told by his guardian Judge Claude Frollo that he is an ugly monster who will never be accepted into the outside world. However, Clopin's opening song asks listeners to judge for themselves "who is the monster, and who is the man" of the two. James Baxter served as the supervising animator for Quasimodo.
Demi Moore as Esmeralda (singing voice by Heidi Mollenhauer) – A beautiful, streetwise Gypsy dancing girl. She befriends Quasimodo and shows him that his soul is truly beautiful, even if his exterior is not. Highly independent and strong-minded, she abhors Frollo's treatment of Paris's gypsies and other outcasts, and seeks justice for them throughout the film. She falls in love with (and later marries) Captain Phoebus. Tony Fucile served as the supervising animator for Esmeralda.
Tony Jay as Judge Claude Frollo – A ruthless, self-righteous and religiously pious judge who is Quasimodo's reluctant guardian. He has an intense hatred of the gypsy population, seeing them as "impure" and seeks to annihilate their entire race. He also displays a sadistic and lustful obsession with Esmeralda. Frollo generally believes all he does is in God's will, despite frequent disagreements with the cathedral's Archdeacon. He dies whilst attempting to kill Quasimodo upon Notre Dame's roof, losing his footing and falling to his death. Kathy Zielinski served as the supervising animator for Frollo.
Kevin Kline as Captain Phoebus – A soldier who is Frollo's Captain of the Guard. He falls in love with (and later marries) Esmeralda. He is a heroic idealist with integrity and does not approve of Frollo's actions. This distinguishes him severely from his character in the original story. He has a horse named Achilles, to whom he says "Achilles, sit." on one of Frollo's soldiers twice. Russ Edmonds served as the supervising animator for Phoebus and Achilles.
Paul Kandel as Clopin – The mischievous leader of the gypsies who will defend his people at all costs. He introduces the audience to the story, explaining how Quasimodo, the bell ringer from Notre Dame, got to be there. Michael Surrey served as the supervising animator for Clopin.
Charles Kimbrough, Jason Alexander, and Mary Wickes as Victor, Hugo, and Laverne – Three comical gargoyle statues who are Quasimodo's best friends and guardians. Though it is often assumed that they are only figments of Quasimodo's imagination, this is actually false as most of their characteristics, including Hugo's strange infatuation with the goat Djali, seem unique to their manifestations when present. The only other person to witness them come to life is Madelline in the film's sequel. They also come to life even when Quasimodo isn't present, often commenting on what's happening. This was Mary Wickes' final film. After Wickes' death, Jane Withers provided the remaining dialogue for Laverne in the film's sequel and related merchandise. David Pruiksma served as the supervising animator for Victor and Hugo, while Will Finn served as the supervising animator for Laverne.
David Ogden Stiers as The Archdeacon – A kind man who helps many characters throughout the film, including Esmeralda. He is the opposite of Frollo: kind, accepting, gentle, and wise. He is the only figure in the film with authority over Frollo while he is inside Notre Dame. He appears in the beginning of the movie when he orders Frollo to adopt Quasimodo for killing his mother. He does not always approve of Frollo's actions, and in the film's climax, Frollo, in his rage, openly defies him and knocks him down a flight of stairs. Dave Burgess served as the supervising animator for the Archdeacon.
Frank Welker as Djali — Esmeralda's pet goat, and Hugo's love interest. Djali likes to eat, mainly flowers and small wooden objects. Hugo has an obsessive, unrequited crush on Djali that isn't reciprocated until the sequel.
Production


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2011)
According to producer Don Hahn, the original idea for the film came from development executive David Stain, who was inspired to turn Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame into an animated feature film after reading the Classics Illustrated comic book adaptation. Stain then proposed the idea to Disney, who called on Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale to work on the project. Wise and Trousdale were working on other projects at the time, but "none of them were quite gelling", so they "jumped at the chance" to do the film. According to Wise, they believed that it had "a great deal of potential...great memorable characters, a really terrific setting, the potential for fantastic visuals, and a lot of emotion."[4]
Production troubles
Due to the heavy subject matter, there were many issues that proved contentious between the creative team and the studio. One of the main ones revolved around the "profession and motivation" of Claude Frollo, the villain. In Victor Hugo's original text, Frollo was a church official — archdeacon of the Notre Dame cathedral. In the film version, he was turned into a judge — a secular government official, whose preoccupation with the gypsy lay in his view of them as "agents of moral decay" as opposed to deviants of the Church. The Gospel According to Disney said "Disney executives would have no part of Hugo's intent to criticise the church and its leaders for their failure to defend the poor and the powerless" and it was "too controversial". However, in an effort to be as faithful to the text as possible, "the animators did their best to subvert this order from above" by using his visual design to show he was a priest.[5]
Entertainment Weekly, which gave the film an A in their review, noted "When it was announced that Disney would produce an animated musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there were doubts, even jokes, about transforming Victor Hugo's classic tale, with its famously misshapen hero, into a crowd-pleaser for kids."[6]
Music
Main article: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (soundtrack)
The film has many musical motifs that carry throughout the film, weaving their way in and out of various pieces of music, and having varying timbres depending on the action in the story at that point.
The film's soundtrack includes a musical score written by Alan Menken and songs written by Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Songs include "The Bells of Notre Dame" for Clopin, "Out There" for Quasimodo and Frollo, "Topsy Turvy" also for Clopin, "God Help the Outcasts" for Esmeralda, "Heaven's Light" and "Hellfire" for Quasimodo, the Archdeacon, and Frollo, "A Guy Like You" for the gargoyles and "The Court of Miracles" for Clopin and the gypsies.
Three songs written for the film were discarded during the storyboarding process and not used: "In a Place of Miracles", "As Long as There's a Moon", and "Someday", a candidate to replace "God Help the Outcasts". Though not included in the body of the film, "Someday" is heard over the end credits, performed by R&B group All-4-One in the North American English release, and by the British R&B girl group Eternal in the British English version. Luis Miguel recorded the version for the Latin American Spanish version, which became a major hit.
Themes
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has many themes, including infanticide, lust, damnation, and sin.[7] One of the most important to the narrative is belief in a loving, forgiving God. It also implies, according to Mark Pinsky, a "condemnation of abortion, euthanasia, and racism, and [a] moral resistance to genocide".[5]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the first—and only—Disney animated feature to have a major focus on traditional religious faith; pre-Reformation Catholicism. In fact, the words "God", "Lord", and "Hell" are uttered more times in this film than in any other. The Gospel According to Disney explains that "it is the church...that interposes, or attempts to interpose itself itself between the villain and his evil intentions." The creative team and the studio executives did butt heads on various issues, especially those relating to the religious content in the story, "for their failure to defend the poor and the powerless" and concerns that the story was "too controversial".[5] Deconstructing Disney notes that the studio "approached the name of god with an almost Hebraic zeal (that it should never be stated) yet here it is invoked in a manner both pious and puritan." Many of the songs were adapted from genuine Latin prayers and chants, such as "Hellfire," which uses Mea culpa as a counterpoint melody. The association of the Church with a form of evil leadership by a man who is "[a religious leader] in almost all respects except the title" "implies a church that is ineffective if not full of vice", the same criticism Hugo gave in his novel. The Gospel According to Disney includes a quote that says "religion...appears as an impotent, irrelevant caricature [and] Disney refuses to admit a serious role for religion". At one point, the archdeacon says to Esmeralda, "You can't right all the wrongs of this world by yourself...perhaps there is someone in here who can," referring to God. This questions the power religious people actually have in making the world a moral and happy place.[5]
There is what many view as attack on the Christian Right in the film, due to its strong theme of "religious and moral hypocrisy" - religious figures doing immoral things under the name of religion. Frollo is a complex figure who is torn between "good and evil; chastity and lust." While the church represents "the spirit of a Christian God," this is juxtaposed by the cruel actions and snap judgements of Frollo, who claims to be doing God's work. The Gospel According to Disney explains that "while Frollo's stated goal is to purge the world of vice and sin, according to the opening song, he 'saw corruption everywhere except within.'" Because "killing the woman on the steps has put Frollo's soul in mortal danger," he has to take the child and look after him as penance. Even then, he absolves himself of agency in the murder by claiming "God works in mysterious ways," and ponders whether "the child may be of use to him one day." During the song "God Help the Outcasts," Esmeralda brings up the point that Jesus — the person in whose name religious people such as Frollo persecute and subjugate "children of God" - was in fact an outcast too.[5]
According to the film's production notes, Quasimodo is "symbolically viewed as being an angel in a devil's body." He is "trapped between heaven above [and] the gritty streets of urban Paris viewed as Hell." The version of the alphabet Quasimodo recites in a daily ritual reflects Frollo's view of the world — full of abominations and blasphemy. He is also constantly reminded he is deformed, ugly, a monster, and an outcast who would be hated if he ever left the confines of the church.[5]
The film also criticizes materialism. When Esmeralda sings "God Help The Outcasts," she "walks in the opposite direction of more prosperous worshipers who are praying for material and earthly rewards." One literary device included in the song is the use of contrast and irony; the rich citizens pray for wealth, fame and "for glory to shine on their names" while the destitute Esmeralda prays for the poor and downtrodden.[5]
Release
The film premiered on June 19, 1996 at the New Orleans Superdome, where it was played on six enormous screens. The premiere was preceded by a parade through the French Quarter, beginning at Jackson Square and utilizing floats and cast members from Walt Disney World.[8] The film was widely released two days later.
Marketing
As part of the promotion of the film, Walt Disney Records shipped two million products, including sing-along home videos, soundtrack CD's, and the "My First Read Along" novelized version of the film, aimed at a toddler demographic. Tie-in promotions included Burger King, Payless Shoes, Nestle and Mattel. Despite the "disappointing" North American box office draws of $99 million, the combined sales of both ticket and spin-off products generated around $500 million in profit.[9]
Reception
The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened on June 21, 1996 to positive reviews. As of September 2011, Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive 73% based on 49 reviews with its consensus stating "Disney's take on the Victor Hugo classic is dramatically uneven, but its strong visuals, dark themes, and message of tolerance make for a more-sophisticated-than-average children's film".[10] Despite this approval rating, Rotten Tomatoes placed it on their list of Kids' Movies Inappropriate for Children. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert rewarded the film 4 star calling it "the best Disney animated feature since Beauty and the Beast--a whirling, uplifting, thrilling story with a heart touching message that emerges from the comedy and song".[11] Some criticism, however, was provided by fans of Victor Hugo’s novel, who were very unhappy with the changes Disney made to the material. Critics such as Arnaud Later, a leading scholar on Hugo, accused Disney of simplifying, editing and censoring the novel in many aspects, including the personalities of the characters. In his review,[12] Later wrote that the animators "don't have enough confidence in their own emotional feeling" and that the film "falls back on clichés." London's The Daily Mail called The Hunchback of Notre Dame "Disney's darkest picture, with a pervading atmosphere of racial tension, religious bigotry and mob hysteria" and "the best version yet of Hugo's novel, a cartoon masterpiece, and one of the great movie musicals".[3] Janet Maslin wrote in her New York Times review, "In a film that bears conspicuous, eager resemblances to other recent Disney hits, the filmmakers' Herculean work is overshadowed by a Sisyphean problem. There's just no way to delight children with a feel-good version of this story."[13]
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film opened in second place at the box office, grossing $21 million. The film saw small decline in later weeks and ultimately grossed just over $100 million domestically and over $325 million worldwide, making it the fifth highest grossing film of 1996.[2]
Accolades

Awards

Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipients and nominees
Result

Academy Awards March 24, 1997 Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz Nominated
Annie Awards 1997 Best Animated Feature Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation Nominated
Best Individual Achievement: Animation Kathy Zielinski Nominated
Best Individual Achievement: Animation James Baxter Nominated
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise Nominated
Music in an Animated Feature Production Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz Nominated
Producing in an Animated Feature Production Don Hahn Nominated
David Goetz Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Nominated
Brenda Chapman & Will Finn Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Nominated
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Tony Jay Nominated
Demi Moore Nominated
Tom Hulce Nominated
Writing in an Animated Feature Production Tab Murphy (story), Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, and Jonathan Roberts Nominated
Golden Globe Awards January 19, 1997 Best Original Score - Motion Picture Alan Menken Nominated
ASCAP Award 1997 Top Box Office Films Stephen Schwartz Won
Saturn Awards July 23, 1997 Best Fantasy Film  Nominated
BMI Film Music Award 1997  Alan Menken Won
Artios Awards 1997 Best Casting for Animated Voiceover Ruth Lambert Won
Golden Screen Award 1997   Won
Golden Reel Awards 1997 Motion Picture Feature Films: Sound Editing  Won
Animated Motion Picture Feature Films: Music Editing  Won
Golden Raspberry Awards March 23, 1997 Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million Tab Murphy (story), Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, and Jonathan Roberts Nominated
Satellite Awards January 15, 1997 Best Motion Picture - Animated or Mixed Media Don Hahn Won
Young Artist Awards 1997 Best Family Feature — Animation or Special Effects  Nominated

Other achievements
American Film Institute ListsAFI's Greatest Movie Musicals - Nominated[14]
AFI's 10 Top 10 - Nominated Animated Film[15]
Home media
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was first released on VHS, standard CLV Laserdisc, and special edition CAV Laserdisc on March 4, 1997 under the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection label. It was then re-issued on March 19, 2002 on DVD along with its direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Blu-ray alongside its sequel in a Special Edition "2-Movie Collection" on March 12, 2013.[16]
Adaptations
Stage musical
Main article: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (musical)
Not to be confused with Notre-Dame de Paris (musical).
The film was adapted into a darker, more Gothic musical production, re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical, in Berlin, Germany. The musical Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (translated in English as The Bellringer of Notre Dame) was very successful and played from 1999 to 2002, before closing. A cast recording was also recorded in German. An English-language revival of the musical will premiere in San Diego on October 28, 2014.[17]
Sequels and spin-offs
In 2002, a direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released on VHS and DVD. The plot focuses once again on Quasimodo as he continues to ring the bells now with the help of Zephyr, Esmeralda and Phoebus's son. He also meets and falls in love with a new girl named Madellaine who has come to Paris with her evil circus master, Sarousch. Disney thought that it was appropriate to make the sequel more fun and child-friendly due to the dark and grim themes of the original film.
Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Victor, Hugo, Laverne and Frollo all made guest appearances on the Disney Channel TV series House of Mouse. Frollo also can seen amongst a crowd of Disney Villains in Mickey's House of Villains.
Video games
In 1996, to tie in with the original theatrical release, The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Topsy Turvy Games was released by Disney Interactive for the PC and the Nintendo Game Boy, which is a collection of mini games based around the Festival of Fools that includes a variation of Balloon Fight.
A world based on the movie, "La Cité des Cloches" (The City of Bells), made its debut appearance in the Kingdom Hearts series in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. It was the first new Disney world confirmed for the game. All of the main characters except Clopin and the Archdeacon (although Quasimodo did mentioned him in the English version) appear.
Other media
Disney has converted its adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame into other media. For example, Disney Comic Hits #11, published by Marvel Comics, features two stories based upon the film. From 1997 to 2002 Disney-MGM Studios hosted a live-action stage show based on the film and Disneyland built a new theater-in-the-round and re-themed Big Thunder Ranch as Esmeralda's Cottage, Festival of Foods outdoor restaurant and Festival of Fools extravaganza, which is now multipurpose space accommodating private events and corporate picnics.
References
1.Jump up ^ Stewart, Jocelyn (2008-02-10). "John Alvin, 59; created movie posters for such films as 'Blazing Saddles' and 'E.T.'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-02-10.[dead link]
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "I've Got a Hunch That This Is a New Disney Masterpiece". The Daily Mail (London, England). 1996-07-12. p. 44.
4.Jump up ^ Don Hahn, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise (2003). History Of The Production Of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (DVD). Disney DVD.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Pinsky, Mark I (2004). The Gospel According to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust. ISBN 9780664234676.
6.Jump up ^ "Movie Review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Entertainment Weekly. June 21, 1996.
7.Jump up ^ Brew, Simon (16 May 2011). "Looking back at Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame". Den of Geek. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
8.Jump up ^ "It Happened Today: June 19". thisdayindisneyhistory.com. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
9.Jump up ^ Giroux, Henry A; Pollock, Grace (2010-04-16). The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence. ISBN 9781442203303.
10.Jump up ^ "The Hunchback of Notre Dame — Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 2011-09-08.
11.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (1996-06-21). "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Chicago Sun-Times (Sun Times Media Group). Retrieved 2011-09-08.
12.Jump up ^ Laster, Arnaud. "Waiting for Hugo". www.awn.com. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
13.Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet (1996-06-21). "Film Review; The Dancing Gargoyles Romp and Wisecrack". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). Retrieved 2010-09-11.
14.Jump up ^ AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees
15.Jump up ^ AFI's 10 Top 10 Ballot
16.Jump up ^ "'The Hunchback of Notre Dame / The Hunchback of Notre Dame II' Blu-ray Detailed". December 19, 2012.
17.Jump up ^ Into the California Sunlight! Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame Will Have Its U.S. Premiere at La Jolla
External links

Portal icon Film in the United States portal
Portal icon Disney portal
Portal icon Cartoon portal
Portal icon 1990s portal
Official website
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Internet Movie Database
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Big Cartoon DataBase
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at AllMovie
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Rotten Tomatoes
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Comically Framing Virtue and Vice, chapter four in Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Disney theatrical animated features









































































































Wikipedia book
Category




[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Walt Disney Animation Studios





































































































































































































































[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo


Characters
Quasimodo ·
 Esmeralda ·
 Claude Frollo ·
 Captain Phoebus ·
 Clopin Trouillefou ·
 Pierre Gringoire
 
Bourdon-notre-dame-paris-tour-sud.jpg


Films
Esmeralda (1905) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911) ·
 The Darling of Paris (1917) ·
 Esmeralda (1922) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1966) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1986) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) ·
 The Hunchback (1997) ·
 Quasimodo d'El Paris (1999) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002)
 

Other adaptations
La Esmeralda (1836 opera) ·
 La Esmeralda (1844 ballet) ·
 Notre-Dame de Paris (1998 musical) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1999 musical)
 

Parodies
Mad Monster Party? (1967) ·
 Hotel Transylvania (2012)
 

Music
"The Bells of Notre Dame" ·
 "Out There" ·
 "Topsy Turvy" ·
 "God Help the Outcasts" ·
 "Heaven's Light" ·
 "Hellfire" ·
 "A Guy Like You" ·
 "The Court of Miracles" ·
 "Someday"
 



[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by Gary Trousdale












[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature






















 


Categories: 1996 films
English-language films
1990s comedy-drama films
1990s musical films
American animated films
American comedy-drama films
American musical comedy films
Animated musical films
Disney animated features canon
Disney Renaissance
Films about religion
Films based on The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Films set in the 16th century
Films set in France
Films set in Paris
Gargoyles in film
Walt Disney Pictures films









Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

View source

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
العربية
Azərbaycanca
Български
Català
Cymraeg
Dansk
Deutsch
Eesti
Ελληνικά
Español
Euskara
Français
Gaelg
Gàidhlig
Galego
한국어
Bahasa Indonesia
Íslenska
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Latina
Magyar
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Polski
Português
Runa Simi
Русский
Simple English
Slovenčina
Српски / srpski
Suomi
Svenska
ไทย
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last modified on 22 July 2014 at 04:55.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1996_film)