The inspiration for Hugo's Quasimodo is unknown, but many believe the character to be based on Monsieur Trajan, a stonemason with a hunched back who worked on Notre Dame de Paris in the 1820s.
What is the dark meaning of the Hunchback of Notre Dame?
This is one of Disney's darkest films, with themes of lust, genocide and the consequences of unchecked religious power. Despite overall being a success upon release, the film was controversial for many different reasons. Parents felt that the film's mature themes were too dark for children to see.
What is the history of the story The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a historical novel by the French author Victor Hugo. The novel was published in 1831, but the plot is set in 15th century Paris. The story's original title in French is Notre Dame de Paris, which highlights the monumental, historical and cultural importance of the Cathedral.
However, it appears that the exact characters are fictional - they have been inspired by the actions of real people, but they are not themselves real-world figures. Notre-Dame is available on Netflix from Wednesday 19th October 2022. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month.
The VERY Messed Up Origins of Hunchback of Notre Dame | Disney Explained - Jon Solo
How is Esmeralda sexualized?
The first is during the Festival of Fools, where she performs on stage in a rather sexy red dress. Some compare her to a stripper in this scene (especially when she twirls around a spear she uses as a makeshift pole).
Whereas his affection for Jehan causes Frollo to behave generously, his lust for Esmeralda causes him to behave destructively—he hounds Esmeralda to death because he cannot satisfy his lust and destroys himself in the process.
The inspiration for Hugo's Quasimodo is unknown, but many believe the character to be based on Monsieur Trajan, a stonemason with a hunched back who worked on Notre Dame de Paris in the 1820s.
No, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is not a true story. It is usually classified as a historical fiction novel or as a tragedy. However, it is possible that Quasimodo was loosely based on a carver who worked on the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral around the time Hugo was working on this book.
A sarcophagus found beneath the floor slabs of the Paris church belonged to Antoine de la Porte, who provided financial contributions for the cathedral's choir.
Medieval Paris is portrayed as an unjust society in which people may face persecution and punishment at any time. For instance, Quasimodo is tried after he attempts to kidnap Esmeralda on Frollo's orders.
What disease is suffered by Quasimodo of Notre-Dame?
Scientifically, being hunchbacked is known as 'kyphosis', which can be brought about by various ailments, but the novel does not specify the specific syndrome he has (likely because it was not known at the time). Given that Quasimodo was born a hunchback, it would be broadly called 'congenital kyphosis'.
The deformed Quasimodo is described as "hideous" and a "creation of the devil". He was born with a severe hunchback, a bushy eyebrow covering his left eye while the right eye "disappeared entirely" behind a giant wart.
What do the gargoyles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame represent?
The gargoyles are part of the Notre Dame cathedral's architect who has the odd ability to come to life at will. Being that Quasimodo was forced to live and stay in the bell tower where they reside, they revealed to him their ability and befriend him for twenty years.
Quasimodo falls in love with Esmeralda for her kindness. Later, Esmeralda is arrested for the murder of the soldier Phoebus (which she did not commit) and sentenced for murder via supposed witchcraft. In fact, Phoebus is alive after an attempted murder by Frollo, who witnessed Phoebus attempting to seduce Esmeralda.
However, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the rare case in which the protagonist, Quasimodo, does not get the girl at the end, at least not in Hugo's novel. Quasimodo is in love with Esmeralda in the novel, but unfortunately, she is hanged at the end of the novel.
Despite claiming to be a devout Catholic, Frollo embodies all the seven deadly sins in this song while lusting for Esmeralda and claiming to be a righteous man at the same time (4). The provocative visuals and bright colors during this sequence matches the lyrics very well and exhibits Frollo's intolerance for sinners.
In Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the character of Esmeralda is tortured using the boot. In the 1939 movie version starring Charles Laughton with Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda, the boot resembles dissociated planks with spikes.
Of course, white Roma exist and it is obvious that in Hugo's mind, Agnès/Esmeralda was nothing but a white woman “with a tan”. But the recurring use of actresses, in later adaptations, whose whiteness is portrayed as approximate points to a commodification of Romani ethnicity.
Gazing off into the distance, he sees the figure of La Esmerelda in a white dress hanging from the scaffold. He bellows out in despair and grabs Frollo by the neck. Holding him up in the air, Quasimodo sighs with grief and then throws Frollo down to his death.
Jasmine's physical features are also greatly highlighted and she is one of the most sexualized princesses in the Disney franchise. She uses her body to help save Aladdin multiple times.
During an assignation with Esmeralda, Phoebus is stabbed by Frollo and Esmeralda is arrested, tortured, and wrongly convicted for murder and witchcraft.
Specifically, some passages in Hugo's novel suggest that a form of mucopolysaccharidosis, a deformity associated with many congenital and hereditary changes affecting the skeletal system, could explain Quasimodo's somatometric characteristics.
'Quasi modo' literally translates as 'in the manner of'. In Victor Hugo's sense the meaning of Quasimodo is 'half made' – that is a man/creature who is deformed.
