The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 Film) - Plot

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. A gypsy woman from the group attempts to flee with her deformed baby, but Frollo chases and kills her outside Notre Dame. He tries to kill the baby as well, but is stopped 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 is told by Frollo that he is a monster and would be rejected by the outside world. A trio of living stone gargoyles serve as Quasimodo's only company. Despite Frollo's warnings, Quasimodo sneaks out of Notre Dame to attend the annually-held Festival of Fools where 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 by freeing the hunchback, and uses a magic trick to evade arrest. Frollo scolds Quasimodo and sends him back inside the cathedral.

Esmeralda follows Quasimodo to find him, but is herself followed by Captain Phoebus of Frollo's guard. Phoebus does not approve of Frollo's methods and refuses to arrest her for alleged witchcraft inside Notre Dame, instead having her detained within the cathedral. Esmeralda, under the suggestion of the Archdeacon, offers a prayer to God to help her and the outcasts. Esmeralda finds and befriends Quasimodo, who helps her escape Notre Dame out of gratitude for defending him. Esmeralda entrusts Quasimodo 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, upon learning of her escape, instigates a city-wide manhunt for her in which he burns down countless houses which would shelter gypsies in his way. Phoebus becomes disgusted with Frollo's actions (when he gives orders to burn down an innocent family), and defies Frollo, who orders him to be executed. Phoebus is injured and falls into a river, but Esmeralda rescues him and takes him to Notre Dame for refuge.

Frollo returns to Notre Dame later that night and, knowing Quasimodo helped Esmeralda escape, bluffs that he knows where the Court of Miracles is and that he intends to attack it at dawn. Using the map Esmeralda gave Quasimodo, he and Phoebus find the court to warn the gypsies, only for Frollo to follow them and capture all the gypsies present. Frollo prepares to burn Esmeralda at the stake after she rejects his advances, but Quasimodo rescues her and brings her to the cathedral. Phoebus releases the gypsies and rallies the citizens of Paris against Frollo's men, who try to break into the cathedral. Quasimodo pours molten copper onto the streets to ensure no one will enter, but Frollo successfully breaks in and chases Quasimodo and Esmeralda to the balconies where he and Quasimodo stumble off the cathedral. Frollo falls to his death, while Quasimodo is caught by Phoebus on a lower floor. Afterward, Quasimodo is encouraged by Phoebus and Esmeralda to leave the cathedral into the outside world, where the citizens hail him as a hero and accept him into society.