Duringthe1482FestivalofFoolsinParis,Quasimodo,thehunchbackofNotre

Dame,iselectedthePopeofFoolsforbeingtheugliestpersoninParis.Heis
hoistedonathroneandparadedaroundParisbythejeeringmob.Pierre
Gringoire,astrugglingpoetandphilosopher,triesunsuccessfullytogetthe
crowdtowatchhisplayinsteadoftheparade.ArchdeaconClaudeFrollo
appearsandstopstheparadeandordersQuasimodobacktoNotreDamewith
him.Lookingforsomethingtoeat,GringoireadmiresthegracefulbeautyofLa
Esmerelda,agypsystreetdancer,anddecidestofollowherhome.After
roundingacorner,sheissuddenlyattackedbyQuasimodoandFrollo.Gringoire
rushestohelpherbutisknockedoutbyQuasimodoasFrollorunsaway.The
King'sArchers,ledbyPhoebusdeChateaupersarrivejustintimeandcapture
thehunchback.Laterthatnight,agroupofbeggarsandthievesareaboutto
hangGringoirewhenLaEsmereldacomesforwardandofferstosavehislifeby
"marrying"himforfouryearsonly.
Thenextday,Quasimodoisputontrialandsentencedtotwohoursoftorturein
thePlacedeGrve.Hesuffersboththepainofbeingstretchedandpulledapart
aswellasbeingpubliclyhumiliatedbythecrowdofpeople,whohatehimfor
hisugliness.Hebegsforwater,butnooneanswershispleasuntilLaEsmerelda
comesforthandbringshimsomethingtodrink.Nearby,areclusecalledSister
Gudule,screamsatLaEsmereldaforbeinga"gypsychildthief"andblames
herforherdaughter'skidnappingfifteenyearsearlier.Afewmonthslater,La
EsmereldaisdancinginfrontofNotreDameandPhoebuscallsherovertohim.
Shehasfalleninlovewithhimandblusheswhenheaskshertomeethimlater
thatnight.FrollowatchesthemfromthetopofNotreDameandbecomes
insanelyjealousofPhoebus.HisobsessivelustforLaEsmereldahasmadehim
renounceGodandstudyalchemyandblackmagic.InhissecretcellatNotre
Dame,heplanstotrapLaEsmereldalikeaspidercatchingaflywithitsweb.
LaterthatnighthefollowsPhoebustohistrystwithLaEsmereldaandstabs
Phoebusrepeatedly.HeescapesandLaEsmereldaiscapturedbytheKing's
guard.
Afterbeingtorturedathertrial,LaEsmereldafalselyconfessestokilling
Phoebusandbeingawitch.SheissentencedtohanginthePlacedeGrve.
Frollovisitsherinjailanddeclareshislove.Hebegshertolovehimandshow
himsomepitybutshecallshima"goblinmonk"andamurderer,refusingto
haveanythingtodowithhim.Beforeherexecution,LaEsmereldaispublicly
humiliatedinfrontofNotreDame.Lookingacrossthesquare,shesuddenly
seesPhoebusandcallsouthisname.Heactuallysurvivedthemurderattempt
butdoesn'twantanyonetoknowthathewasinjured.HeturnsawayfromLa

Esmereldaandentersthehouseofhisbridetobe.Justthen,Quasimodoswings
downonaropefromNotreDameandcarriesherbacktothecathedral,crying
out"Sanctuary!"Hehadfalleninlovewithherwhenshebroughthimwaterand
hadbeenplanningherescapeallalong.
LaEsmereldaissafefromexecutionjustaslongasshestaysinsidethe
cathedral.Atfirst,shefindsithardtoevenlookatQuasimodo,buttheyforman
uneasyfriendship.Eventhoughheisdeaf,heenjoysbeingaroundherwhenshe
sings.Meanwhile,agroupofvagabondsresolvestosaveLaEsmereldaafter
hearingthatParliamenthasorderedthatsheberemovedfromNotreDame.But
whenQuasimodoseesthemattackthecathedral,hethinkstheyhavecometo
killLaEsmereldaandhefendsthemoffasbesthecan,killingalargenumber
ofthem.FrollohasusedtheattackasadiversiontosneakLaEsmereldaoutof
thecathedral.Heoffershertwochoices:shecaneithersaysheloveshimorbe
hanged.ShedemandstobeexecutedandheleavesherwithSisterGudule.To
theirastonishment,theydiscoverthattheyaremotheranddaughter.Gudule
triestoprotectLaEsmerelda,butitistoolate.BackatNotreDame,Quasimodo
goestothetopofthenorthtowertofindher.Gazingoffintothedistance,he
seesthefigureofLaEsmereldainawhitedresshangingfromthescaffold.He
bellowsoutindespairandgrabsFrollobytheneck.Holdinghimupintheair,
QuasimodosighswithgriefandthenthrowsFrollodowntohisdeath.Looking
atLaEsmereldahangingoffinthedistanceandFrollo'swrangledcorpsedown
below,Quasimodocriesout:"ThereiseverythingIeverloved!"Quasimodois
neverseenagain.YearslaterwhenagravediggerstumblesacrossLa
Esmerelda'sremains,hefindstheskeletonofahunchbackcurledaroundher.