Parīzes Dievmātes Katedrāle: The Plot

Frollo and Gudule

The opera opens with an overture, which features several themes that show up throughout the the piece. Once this is over with, a woman, a respected Duchess, is seen giving birth. The birth is particularly painful, and the resulting child is hideous. The Duchess' friends, all gypsies, conclude that the repulsive child is a "curse."

Fearing the wrath of the Duke, the Duchess decides to rid herself of the child. her Gypsy friends formulate a plan, to swap the Duchess' child for the daughter of Gudule, a poor prostitute. Gudule loves her daughter above anything else, and feels that she has saved her soul. The plan works, and Gudule swears vengeance on the Gypsy people, while at the same time cursing the replacement child.

Gudule is distraught over the loss of her child. A nearby priest, Claude Frollo, tries to comfort Gudule, encouraging her to take in the hideous creature. Since so one else will do so, the priest adopts the child on his own.

Gringoire gives Jupiter advice

Years later, a mystery play is to be preformed. The play is being delayed, much to the chagrin of the audience. The audience begin to take their frustrations out on the plays author, Pierre Gringoire, and they even begin to threaten Michel Gibon, playing Jupiter, with hanging. Gringoire advises Jupiter to assure the audience that the play will start as soon as the Cardinal and his entourage arrive.

Using the rabble as a cover, pickpockets begin to make their rounds, stealing purses left and right. Beggars begin to plead the crowd for money. One "cripple" claims that "heaven was merciful" to him by supposedly curing his blindness. Clopin, the beggar king, orders the man to exchange his pennies for not being murdered. The Cardinal finally arrives and the play finally begins.

Coppenole praises Quasimodo's ugliness

Coppenole, and man from Ghent, questions how people can watch such a boring play. He offers an opportunity for "real merrymaking," an election of a pope of fools. the winner is "the one who can pull the scariest face." The audience attention is diverted from the play to the competition. The Cardinal and his entourage decide to leave for dinner. The winner is chosen out of nowhere. The winner,  the feared and monstrous Quasimodo, is decked in a colorful robe and paraded away.

Gringoire begs for Jupiter and the other actors to stay even though his audience has left. Jupiter tells him that someone has run off with a neccesary ladder in order to watch Esmeralda dance. Esmeralda has attracted a large number of spectators, who she entertains with her dancing and fortune telling. She is harassed by Frollo, who says that she'll "pay the dearest price" for her evil.

A second objector is Gudule, who has become a mad recluse after losing her daughter. She wishes death upon Esmeralda, and the public try to tell the girl not to pay attention to Gudule. Quasimodo arrives along with the spectators, who claim that Quasimodo is "a real angel, though he looks like a beast." Quasimodo is enjoying the attention, until he is struck down by Frollo. Quasimodo begs for forgiveness, and while Frollo claims "it won't be easy to make amends," Quasimodo can help by assisting Frollo by "kidnap(ping)

Gringoire, surrounded by strumpets

a witch."

As Esmeralda walks the streets, Quasimodo tries to carry her off. She escapes, only to be confronted by Frollo. Quasimodo grabs her again. Gringoire, who was passing by, tries to intervene, but fails. The stately captain Phoebus arrives and has Quasimodo arrested. He and Esmeralda converse before she has to leave. Phoebus monologues about Esmeralda, and his growing affection for her.

Gringoire is threated by faux injured people and wanders into the Court of Miracles, the den of theives and beggars. He is surround by strumpets who offer themselves to him, nearly forcing themselves onto the unfortunate poet several times. Gringoire is taunted and beaten before being brought to the king, Clopin. Clopin tells Gringoire that "when we crucify you only your stench will be resurrected." Gringoire is offered safety if he can prove himself to be a tramp. When he fails he is offered to the women, who reject him due to his undesirable qualities. When all seems lost, Esmeralda chooses to marry him. Clopin preforms the wedding ceremony, mentioning that the marriage will only last four years. Esmeralda is not in love with Gringoire, and is quick to establish that, but she feels that she is repaying him for when he tried to save her earlier. She is instead in love with Phoebus, who she believes is her "first love."

Esmeralda takes pity on Quasimodo

The following day Quasimodo is being punished. After being peremptorily whipped, Quasimodo is to stay tied down to the whipping post for another hour. Frollo, watching from the church, laments the public laughing at Quasimodo's anguish, because in his eyes they are "scorning the cathedral" by doing so. Quasimodo feels that "his senses are leaving (him)" and wishes to be taken to the bells of Notre Dame, feeling that they will heal his wounds. He begs the crowd of tormentors for water and is met with a rag that has been "soaked in slops." A group of women tell Quasimodo to drink from the filthy rag, so it will "make (him) sick, like (how) you make us sick with you church bells." A man kicks Quasimodo in the stomach, blaming him for having a deformed child. Esmeralda comes to Quasimodo's aid, chastising the people for ridiculing him. Quasimodo is afraid that Esmeralda is "foreboding misfortune again" because the last time he saw her he was arrested. Esmeralda gives Quasimodo the water he had begged for just as he is being freed.

Gringoire attempts to explain his predicament

Frollo feels as if he is going insane. He has developed an obsession with Esmeralda, and is torn between his obsession and hatred toward her. His holy vows prevent him from pursuing her, but he is compelled to nonetheless.

While searching for her he stumbles into Gringoire, but in a hardly recognizable form. In order to assist Esmeralda, Gringoire is costumed as a jester. Frollo is enraged to discover that Gringoire has married Esmeralda, and Gringoire desperately tries to explain that he had no choice but to do so. Frollo agrees to spare Gringoire if he reveals who Esmeralda is really in love with. With this information, Frollo tosses Gringoire aside and runs off.

Phoebus and his fiance Fleur de Lys invite Esmeralda to dance in their home. Fleur de Lys and the other women mock Esmeralda's appearance and social stature, but their mood shifts when they discover that Esmeralda has a "magic goat," Djali. Fleur runs screaming in horror. Phoebus tries to lighten Esmeralda's mood as this happens.

Quasimodo in Notre Dame

In the belfry of Notre Dame, Quasimodo feels at peace, away from the public. He tells the church bells, Gabrielle. Guiame, Pasque, of his sorrows, and how "for the love of god (...) how (he) wants to escape the Hell" of his existence. Quasimodo decides to give a name to a bell whose "voice resounds so sweetly," Esmeralda, to show his gratitude.

Gringoire tells Frollo that Esmeralda will be going out that night with Phoebus. Gringoire takes the opportunity to beg Frollo for money, and the priest agrees to give begrudgingly.

Phoebus discovers Frollo waiting for him. Because of Frollo's black attire, Phoebus believes that Frollo is an "apparition" and challenges him to a sword fight. Frollo tells Phoebus that he doesn't believe that Esmeralda is in love with him, and Phoebus offers to let Frollo see him "in action." Frollo pays Phoebus for the privilege of watching him and Esmeralda and promises more money afterwards.

Phoebus challenges the apparition to a duel

In a local brothel, Phoebus and Esmeralda whisper sweet nothings to one another. Frollo, as this is happening, is watching from afar. Esmeralda mentions that she promised to remain chaste until she found her long lost mother. Phoebus rejects such notions, but before the two of them can consomate their relationship, Frollo darts in and stabs Phoebus with a knife. at the sight of this, Esmeralda faints, and Frollo kisses her unconscious lips..

Esmeralda is blamed for Phoebus' murder and locked in a dungeon. She tries to keep hope in her darkest hour, until a priest enters the dungeon. Esmeralda begs for him to save her from execution. The priest reveals himself to be Frollo, terrifying and disgusting Esmeralda. Frollo asks the unfortunate Gypsy girl to run off with him only to be rejected. She would rather be with Phoebus, in death, than with his supposed assassin.

Esmeralda chooses her death over the hateful archdeacon

As Esmeralda awaits her execution, Fleur de Lys and Phoebus plan their wedding. Fleur wants to make sure that Phoebus is there to see Esmeralda's hanging beforehand. Frollo goes to Gudule and tells her that Esmeralda, whom she so deeply hates, is going to die. Gudule is overjoyed to hear the news. Esmeralda is brought to Frollo in order to repent her sins. Instead, Frollo offers himself to her again. Esmeralda still rejects him, and Frollo tells her to die. She's dragged to the scaffold and falls to her knees. She sees Phoebus with Fleur de Lys and cries out for his help. She is ignored, not just by Phoebus, but by all of the people around her.

When all seems lost, Quasimodo swings down from Notre Dame and carries Esmeralda into the church. The hangman tries to have soldiers seize Esmeralda, but an official
insists that she is safe inside of the cathedral. Solidifying this notion, Quasimodo appears along with Esmeralda near the top of Notre Dame, shouting that she is under "protection" and "cover."

Quasimodo and Esmeralda  bond with one another

Safe in the church, Esmeralda wonders what has happened. She wishes for Phoebus to arrive and save her on his white horse, but she instead finds Quasimodo, bearing a white flower. Quasimodo apologizes for frightening her with his appearance. He observes that she is not dissimilar to him. They both have been condemned by their looks. Esmeralda for her "innocent beauty" and Quasimodo for "being a cripple."

Esmeralda asks where Quasimodo got the flower from. As it is winter, flowers normally would not grow. Quasimodo shows Esmeralda the garden in which the flower was grown, on her request, and tells her that all of the flowers can be for her if she forgets her "thoughts of death."

Quasimodo tells Esmeralda of his upbringing, how even though he was "just a child" "people would stone and curse" him. In order to cheer the unhappy bell ringer up, his stepfather decides to plant a garden in honor of the Virgin Mary. Esmeralda asks who Quasimodo's stepfather is and is repelled by the information. Frollo is Quasimodo's stepfather. He tries to explain that Frollo once loved him and God, that he wasn't always the way Esmeralda knows he is. Esmeralda tells Quasimodo that "he is a murder," and Quasimodo tells her that "he is sick," and to "get some rest."

Frollo encourages Quasimodo to spare him

Frollo feels that he is dead, sulking about the street at night. Gringoire comes to him, not out of  necessity, but of guilt. He has developed an attatchment ot Esmeralda and wants to save her. Frollo is perplexed as to why Gringoire is "speaking in riddles," as he believes Esmeralda to be dead. Gringoire explains the truth to a horrified Frollo, who thinks that Esmeralda "has risen from the dead." Frollo agrees to help Gringoire save Esmeralda, and plans on using him as a saccarafice. Not wanting to die, Gringoire suggests that he could have the beggars from the court of miracles start a riot as a diversion while they save her.

During the night, Frollo tries to have his way with Esmeralda by force. She resists his advances, and tells him of his former self, but Frollo insits that his former self has died along with is sanity. Quasimodo intervenes, holding a knife. Frollo convinces Quasimodo not to use his weapon because murder would be a "deadly sin," before sneaking away.

Clopin leads the mob

Quasimodo tries to comfort Esmeralda, but he reunion is short lived as the mob of vagabonds has gathered around Notre Dame, promising that Quasimodo's "head will roll" and that Esmeralda "must come back." Clopin cheers on the mob by informing them of the "silver and gold" buried in the "cells of the cathedral." Quasimodo begins to fight against the vagabonds, saying that they will "burn in the blazing fire of Hell!" Esmeralda commends Quasimodo's bravery, but laments the death of her companions.

Frollo takes Esmeralda out of Notre Dame. He gives her a choice, one last time, between him and death, and is rejected for the final time. Instead of giving Esmeralda to the hangman, he gives her to Gudule, knowing that the old hag will want to "claw (her) fingers round (Esmeralda's) throat." Gudule attacks Esmeralda, but stops when she has a revelation: Esmeralda is her child that was stolen years earlier. The estranged mother and daughter reunite. Gudule plans to save Esmeralda. Frollo, feeling betrayed, stabs Gudule to death. She dies in Esmeralda's arms.

Quasimodo kneels before Esmeralda

Upon her death, Frollo grabs Esmeralda, and has the knife pointed to her throat, repeating that his "evil is sacred." Quasimodo comes up from behind with a rope, and uses it to strangle Frollo to death. Unfortunately, Esmeralda is dying from Frollo's attack, fading right before Quasimodo's eyes. She calls out Phoebus' name, the last piece of her innocence. Before dying she says Quasimodo's name, acknowledging his affection.

With the two people he loved in the world gone, Quasimodo feels he has nothing to live for. Hoping for "eternal love and peace" in the afterlife, Quasimodo lies by Esmeralda's body until death comes to him.

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