“Notre Dame de Paris” Hugo in brief summary


In the back streets of one of the towers of the great cathedral, someone’s long-decayed hand inscribed the word “rock” in Greek. Then the word itself disappeared. But from him was born a book about a gypsy, hunchback and a priest.

On January 6, 1482, on the occasion of the baptismal feast in the Palace of Justice, the mystery “The Righteous Judgment of the Immaculate Virgin Mary” is given. A huge crowd is gathering in the morning. Ambassadors from Flanders and the Cardinal of Bourbon are welcome. Gradually, the spectators begin to murmur, and most of all the schoolboys rush: among them stands the sixteen-year-old fair-haired puppy Jehan – the brother of the learned archdeacon Claude Frollo. The nervous author of the mystery Pierre Gringoire orders to begin. But the unhappy poet is unlucky; barely the actors pronounced the prologue, the cardinal appears, and then the ambassadors. The townspeople from the Flemish city of Ghent are so colorful

that the Parisians only stare at them. General admiration is caused by the stocking master Maître Copinol, who, without repenting, converses in a friendly manner with the abominable beggar Clopen Truilf. To horror of Gringoire, the accursed Flemish chastits the last words of his mystery and offers to do a much more fun thing – choose the buffoon pope. They will be the one who grimaces the most terrible grimace. Applicants for this high title protrude the face from the window of the chapel. The winner is Quasimodo, the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which he does not need to grimace, he is so ugly. The monstrous hunchback is dressed in an absurd mantle and carried off on his shoulders, in order to walk through the streets of the city according to custom. Gringoire is already hoping for the continuation of the ill-fated play, but then someone yells that Esmeralda is dancing in the square – and all the remaining spectators are blown away by the wind. Gringoire wanders to Grevskuy Square in a longing to see this Esmeralda, and an inexpressibly lovely girl appears to his eyes – either a fairy, or
an angel who turned out to be a gypsy. Gringoire, as well as all the spectators, is completely fascinated by the dancer, but in the crowd there stands out the gloomy face of an old man who is already bald: he viciously accuses the girl of witchcraft – her white goat beats a tambourine six times on a tambourine in response to a question as to which date is today. When Esmeralda begins to sing, a woman’s voice full of frenzied hatred is heard – the recluse of Roland’s tower curses the gypsy offspring. At that moment, a procession appears on Greve Square, in the center of which Quasimodo flaunts. A bald man dashes at him, frightening the gypsy woman, and Gringoire discovers her teacher of sealants – Claude Frollo’s father. He tears the tiara from the hunchback, tears the mantle into shreds, breaks the staff – the terrible Quasimodo falls to his knees in front of him. A day full of spectacles is coming to an end, and Gringoire is hopelessly wandering after a gypsy woman. Suddenly, a shrill scream reaches him: two men try to clamp Esmeralda’s mouth. Pierre calls the guard, and there is a dazzling officer – the chief of the royal shooters. One of the kidnappers grabbed is Quasimodo. The gypsy does not take his rapturous eyes from his savior – Captain Phoebus de Chaotopur.

Fate brings the ill-fated poet to the Court of Miracles – the kingdom of beggars and thieves. The stranger grabbed and led to the Altynny King, in which Pierre, to his surprise, recognizes Clopen Truiflu. Local customs are harsh: you need to pull a purse from a scarecrow with bells, so much so that they do not rang – a loser is waiting for a loop. Gringoire, who arranged a real ringing, is dragged to the gallows, and only a woman can save him – if there is one that she wants to take as husbands. No one fought for the poet, and would have rocked him on the crossbar, if Esmeralda had not liberated him by the kindness of the soul. Enraged Gringoire tries to present marital rights, but the fragile singer has a small dagger for this case – in the eyes of astonished Pierre the dragonfly turns into a wasp. The ill-fated poet lies down on a scanty litter, for he has nowhere to go.

The next day, the kidnapper of Esmeralda appears before the court. In 1482, the disgusting hunchback was twenty years old, and his benefactor Claude Frollo – thirty-six. Sixteen years ago, a small freak was put on the porch of the cathedral, and only one person took pity on him. Having lost his parents during the terrible plague, Claude remained with the chest Jehan in his arms and loved him with passionate, devoted love. Perhaps the thought of his brother made him choose an orphan whom he named Quasimodo. Claude nurtured him, taught him to write and read, put it to the bells, so Quasimodo, who hated all people, was dog-like betrayed to the archdeacon. Perhaps he only loved the Cathedral more – his home, his homeland, his universe. That’s why he unquestioningly carried out the order of his savior – and now he had to answer for it. Deaf Quasimodo comes to the deaf judge, and it ends pitifully – he is sentenced to lashes and a pillory. The hunchback does not understand what is happening until he is flogged by the hooting of the crowd. On this flour does not end: after scourging, good citizens throw it with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. and this ends pitifully – he is sentenced to lashes and a pillory. The hunchback does not understand what is happening until he is flogged by the hooting of the crowd. On this flour does not end: after scourging, good citizens throw it with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. and this ends pitifully – he is sentenced to lashes and a pillory. The hunchback does not understand what is happening until he is flogged by the hooting of the crowd. On this flour does not end: after scourging, good citizens throw it with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. The hunchback does not understand what is happening until he is flogged by the hooting of the crowd. On this flour does not end: after scourging, good citizens throw it with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. The hunchback does not understand what is happening until he is flogged by the hooting of the crowd. On this flour does not end: after scourging, good citizens throw it with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. after scourging, good citizens throw him with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. after scourging, good citizens throw him with stones and ridicule. He raucously asks for a drink, but he responds with bursts of laughter. Suddenly, Esmeralda appears on the square. Seeing the culprit of his misfortunes, Quasimodo is ready to incinerate her with a look, and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a flask of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a jar of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses. and she fearlessly climbs the stairs and brings a jar of water to his lips. Then a tear rolls down the ugly face – a changeable crowd applauds “to the majestic spectacle of beauty, youth and innocence, come to the aid of the embodiment of ugliness and anger.” Only the hermit of Roland’s Tower, barely noticing Esmeralda, bursts into curses.

A few weeks later, at the beginning of March, Captain Phoebus de Chateauer compliments with his fiancée Fleur-de-Lys and her friends. Fun for the sake of a girl decides to invite into the house a pretty gypsy girl who dances on Cathedral Square. They quickly repent of their intention, for Esmeralda dwarfs them all with grace and beauty. She herself is staring at the captain, who was puffed up with self-satisfaction. When the goat adds the word “Phoebus” from the letters – apparently familiar to her, Fleur de Lys faints, and Esmeralda is immediately expelled. She also draws her eyes: Quasimodo looks at her with admiration from one window of the cathedral, Claude Frollo gloomily contemplates from another. Next to the gypsy woman, he spotted a man in yellow and red tights – before she always acted alone. Going down, the archdeacon recognizes his pupil Pierre Gringoire, who disappeared two months ago. Claude eagerly inquires about Esmeralda: the poet says that this girl is a charming and harmless creature, a true child of nature. She keeps chastity, because she wants to find parents through an amulet – and that supposedly helps only virgins. Everyone loves her for cheerful disposition and kindness. She herself believes that in the whole city she has only two enemies – the hermit of the Roland Tower, which somehow hates the Gypsies, and some priest who constantly follows her. With the help of a tambourine, Esmeralda teaches her goat tricks, and there is no sorcery in them – it took only two months to teach her to add the word “Phoebus”. The Archdeacon is in extreme excitement – and on the same day he hears his brother Jehan cheerfully calling the captain of the royal riflemen by name. He follows the young rakes in the tavern. Phoebus gets drunk a little less than a schoolboy, as he has an appointment with Esmeralda. The girl is so in love that she is ready to sacrifice even an amulet – since she has Phoebus, why does she need a father and mother? The captain begins to kiss the gypsy, and at that moment she sees a dagger over it. Before Esmeralda there is a face of the hated priest: she loses consciousness – having regained consciousness, hears from all directions, that the sorceress has stabbed the captain.

A month passes. Gringoire and the Court of Wonders are in terrible alarm – Esmeralda has disappeared. One day Pierre sees the crowd at the Palace of Justice – they tell him that they are judging the devil who killed the military man. The Gypsy persistently denies everything, regardless of the evidence – a devil’s goat and a demon in the priest’s priest’s prune, seen by many witnesses. But she can not stand torture with a Spanish boot – she admits to witchcraft, prostitution and the murder of Phoebus de Chateaubert. On the totality of these crimes, she is sentenced to repentance at the portal of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and then to the hanging. The same goat must be subjected to the same penalty. Claude Frollo comes to the casemate, where Esmeralda is looking forward to death. He on his knees begs her to flee with him: she turned his life around, until he met with her he was happy – innocent and clean, lived by science alone and fell, seeing the marvelous beauty, not created for human eyes. Esmeralda rejects the love of the hated priest, and the salvation he has offered. In response, he angrily cries that Phoebus is dead. However, Phoebus survived, and the light-haired Fleur-de-Lys once again settled in his heart. On the day of execution lovers gently coo, looking curiously at the window – the jealous bride first recognizes Esmeralda. The gypsy, after seeing the beautiful Phoebe, falls unconscious: at that moment she is picked up by Quasimodo and rushes to the Cathedral with a cry of “refuge”. The crowd greets the hunchback with enthusiastic screams – this roar reaches the Graveska Square and the Roland Tower, where the hermit does not take the gaze from the gallows. The victim slipped away, hiding in the church. and in his heart settled once more the fair-haired Fleur-de-Lys. On the day of execution lovers gently coo, looking curiously at the window – the jealous bride first recognizes Esmeralda. The gypsy, after seeing the beautiful Phoebe, falls unconscious: at that moment she is picked up by Quasimodo and rushes to the Cathedral with a cry of “refuge”. The crowd greets the hunchback with enthusiastic screams – this roar reaches the Graveska Square and the Roland Tower, where the hermit does not take the gaze from the gallows. The victim slipped away, hiding in the church. and in his heart settled once more the fair-haired Fleur-de-Lys. On the day of execution lovers gently coo, looking curiously at the window – the jealous bride first recognizes Esmeralda. The gypsy, after seeing the beautiful Phoebe, falls unconscious: at that moment she is picked up by Quasimodo and rushes to the Cathedral with a cry of “refuge”. The crowd greets the hunchback with enthusiastic screams – this roar reaches the Graveska Square and the Roland Tower, where the hermit does not take the gaze from the gallows. The victim slipped away, hiding in the church. The crowd greets the hunchback with enthusiastic screams – this roar reaches the Graveska Square and the Roland Tower, where the hermit does not take the gaze from the gallows. The victim slipped away, hiding in the church. The crowd greets the hunchback with enthusiastic screams – this roar reaches the Graveska Square and the Roland Tower, where the hermit does not take the gaze from the gallows. The victim slipped away, hiding in the church.

Esmeralda lives in the Cathedral, but can not get used to the horrible hunchback. Not wishing to irritate her with her ugliness, the deaf gives her a whistle – this sound he is able to hear. And when the archdeacon throws himself at the gipsy, Quasimodo almost kills him in the darkness – only the ray of the month rescues Claude, who begins to be jealous of Esmeralda to the ugly bell ringer. At his instigation, Gringoire raises the Courtyard of Miracles – beggars and thieves storm the Cathedral, wanting to save the gypsy. Quasimodo desperately defends his treasure – from his hand, the young Juan Frollo dies. Meanwhile Gringuar’tayk brings Esmeralda out of the Cathedral and involuntarily transfers it to Claude’s hands – he carries it to Grevskuyu Square, where he offers his love for the last time. There is no salvation: the king himself, having learned about the riot, ordered to find and hang a sorceress. The gypsy in horror recoils from Claude, and then he drags her to the Roland Tower – the recluse, sticking out her hand from behind the bars, grabs the unfortunate girl tightly, and the priest runs after the guards. Esmeralda begs to let her go, but Pucketta Shantfleer only laughs angrily at the answer – the gypsies have stolen her daughter from her, let their own offspring die now. She shows the girl the embroidered slipper of her little daughter – in an incense at Esmeralda exactly the same. The hermit almost loses her sanity with joy-she has found her child, although she has lost all hope. Too late mother and daughter remember the danger: Pachette is trying to hide Esmeralda in her cell, but in vain – the girl is being dragged to the gallows. In her last desperate impulse, her mother is biting her teeth into the executioner’s hand – she is thrown away and she falls dead. From the height of the Cathedral the archdeacon looks at the Greve Square. Quasimodo, who already suspected Claude of Esmeralda’s abduction, sneaks after him and finds out a gypsy – a neck is put around her neck. When the executioner jumps on the girl’s shoulders and the body of the executed begins to beat in terrible convulsions, the priest’s face distorts with laughter – Quasimodo does not hear it, but sees a satanic grin in which there is nothing human anymore. And he pushes Claude into the abyss. Esmeralda on the gallows, and the archdeacon, stretched at the foot of the tower, is all that the poor hunchback loved.


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“Notre Dame de Paris” Hugo in brief summary