I am not ashamed to say that I am a HUGE Disney fan, owning several movies and watching them over and over again (c'mon I'm sure most of you do too, don't lie!!). SO I'm going to go with the assumption that you are all familiar with Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Disney makes it out to be a wonderfully delightful story where everyone lives Happily Ever After BUT in actual fact, the real story of the hunchback is not as sweet as the story you are all familiar with. In the real story, the events are far more depressing that in Disney's colourful, musical adaption!
Quasimodo is a disfigured man with a hunched back who lives in one of Paris' most esteemed cathedrals, Notre Dame. His mother abandoned him at the steps of the cathedral when he was an infant and the evil archdeacon Frollo took Quasimodo in. Because of his appearance, Frollo forbade him from leaving the walls of the cathedral and made him the bellringer. From his tower, Quasimodo could see into the city square and this is where he first laid eyes on Esméralda, a beautiful, wayward gypsy who roamed the streets of Paris. Quasimodo immediately fell in love with her.
However, Esméralda did want Quasimodo, she only had eyes for Phoebus, a soldier in charge of keeping the peace in the streets of Paris. But Phoebus was already engaged to Fleur-de-Lys which initiated a terrible love triangle. Even though Phoebus loved his fiancée, he could not help but be infatuated with the beautiful Esméralda.
Pheobus and Quasimodo were not the only ones who were obsessed with the gypsy. The archdeacon, Frollo, was also in love with her. But Frollo's love was an unhealthy love, a jealous love. He decided he must destroy Esméralda because she did not return his love. So one night, as Phoebus was secretly coming to see Esméralda at her home, Frollo followed him and lurked in the shadows. Just as Phoebus entered Esméralda's home, Frollo stabbed him!
Because there were no witnesses, Esméralda was accused of stabbing Phoebus. When Quasimodo heard of what happened, he left the bell tower to help the woman he loved to escape from the law and from Frollo. When the police came to find her, she had already fled to the safety of the Court of Miracles - the secret hideout for all the Parisien gypsies. Meanwhile, Phoebus was recovering from his wounds and realised that Esméralda was dangerous and bad for his reputation, and he returned to his fiancée Fleur-de-Lys.
Eventually, the Court of Miracles was stormed by Frollo's army and Esméralda was captured and charged with attempted murder. She was sentenced to death.
In prison, Frollo approached Esméralda telling her that if she married him, he would get her out of prison. Esméralda told Frollo she would rather die than marry a monster. Hurt and rejected, Frollo carried on with the sentence and Esméralda was hanged at dawn.
Quasimodo saw the hanging from his tower and ran down as fast as he could to be with Esméralda, but it was too late, she was already dead. Overcome with absolute grief, Quasimodo entombed himself in Esméralda's grave, and died with her, their skeletons forever intertwined.
This story is a huge part of French culture. If you ever get the chance to visit Notre Dame in Paris, the cathedral where this story takes place, make sure you keep an eye out for the elusive bellringer. I never saw him though :-(
Pretty different to the story you know huh? For a full plot synopsis and more information on the author, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame#Plot_summary.
