Quasimodo and Claude Frollo's love for Esmeralda. Romanticism in Notre Dame Cathedral

Composition

ESMERALDA (French Esmeralda) is the heroine of V. Hugo’s novel “Notre Dame de Paris” (1831). E. is truly a genius of pure beauty in world literature. It's not just her appearance that is perfect - from her small, impeccably shaped legs to her dark, huge eyes and lush black hair. Hugo repeatedly emphasizes that when E. appears, everything is illuminated with some kind of magical radiance: “She was like a torch brought from the light into the darkness.” But the heroine’s soul is no less beautiful. It is impossible to imagine that she could deliberately cause harm to anyone. She, without hesitation, saves the writer of mysteries, Gringoire, from the gallows, agreeing, according to gypsy laws, to recognize him as her husband for four years; She was the only one from the huge crowd who took pity on the unfortunate Quasimodo, dying of thirst in the pillory, and gave him a drink from her flask. If E. has a small flaw, it relates to the sphere of reason and intuition. She is completely unsighted and very trusting; it is not difficult to lure her into the placed nets. The heroine is too carried away by her fantasies and dreams to really look at things and foresee danger. The ending is terrible. The heroine's real name is Agnes Chantfleury, and she is not a gypsy at all. Gypsies kidnapped her at the age of one. They gave her this too strange name- after the name of the bead that adorns the amulet on her neck. E. learned to sing and dance from the gypsies and, once in Paris, earns a living by giving performances (her faithful companion, the goat Djali, invariably participates in them). The good old gypsy woman predicted to E. that she would find her mother using a tiny shoe kept in an amulet, and this really happened, but only on the day of the heroine’s death. She turned out to be the evil old woman Gudula, who hated the gypsies and so many times sent curses to the careless dancer. First and only love The heroine, by a tediously boring irony of fate, became the empty fanfare of Phoebus de Chateaupert, a creature astonishingly primitive, ordinary and deceitful. In general, love in this novel does not bring happiness to anyone. Quasimodo's enormous selfless feeling is not noticed by E. (she is unable to overcome her disgust for his ugly appearance). The perverted, lustful attraction of Archdeacon Claude Frollo to her became the reason for her tragic death . Before the fateful meeting with Phoebus, everything was in a state of external peace. E. lived her dreams and hopes. Quasimodo only admired her from afar. The terrifying face of Claude Frollo appeared in front of her quite often, but only frightened her without causing significant harm. The archdeacon was forced to take decisive action by jealousy - first towards Phoebus, and then towards Quasimodo. Claude Frollo decided to destroy E. so that no one would get her. It was by his will that the last months of the heroine’s life turned into a living hell. At first, he arranged everything in such a way that E. would be accused of killing Phoebus (although he did not die at all, but was only wounded by the evil archdeacon). E. ended up in prison, was subjected to horrific torture there, but still chose death over the love of Claude Frollo. Only by a miracle did Quasimodo manage to save Esmeralda, literally snatching her from the hands of the executioner. He took the condemned woman to the cathedral, where, by law, no one had the right to touch her, and asked her never to leave there. But Claude Frollo again managed to deceive E. Using her friend Gringoire, he lured her onto the street. And this was the end for the unfortunate heroine. This time she was hanged. Hugo's novel is built on contrasts and oppositions: E. and Quasimodo - beauty and physical deformity; E. and Phoebus - sincerity and deceit, selflessness and narcissism; E. and Claude Frollo - selfless, sacrificial love and selfish, lustful, deadly attraction... Pride and self-esteem are inherent in E. by nature. She is beautiful when she dances or sings, “sings like a bird, jubilantly and carefree.” But, having fallen in love with Phoebus, she forgets about what is an organic property of her free nature. She is almost pathetic when she says to her insignificant lover: “I am your slave... Let me be disgraced, stained, humiliated, what do I care.” Love for Phoebus, beautiful in its essence, sometimes makes her cruel to those around her and to the people who truly love her. E. is ready to force Quasimodo to spend all day and all night waiting for Phoebus, shows dissatisfaction when he sees that the hunchback has returned alone, and even drives him away in irritation, completely forgetting what she owes to Quasimodo. Moreover, she does not want to believe the obvious and appreciate the delicacy of her ugly guardian angel: after all, Phoebus simply did not want to come to her and Quasimodo is absolutely not to blame for what happened. E. also forgets about the mother she so unexpectedly found. The distant sound of Phoebus's voice is enough, and E. reveals his presence, predetermining his own death, and the death of his mother, and the death of Quasimodo, so devoted to her. The image of E. became the main one in what Hugo himself wrote opera libretto“Esmeralda”, the music for which was composed by many composers, including A.S. Dargomyzhsky. E. became the main character ballet of the same name Italian composer K.Puni.

Other works on this work

Many people in the world know this female character- Esmeralda. This is the heroine famous novel"Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris"by Victor Hugo. Esmeralda is a beautiful girl, a dancer, who was kidnapped and raised by gypsies. She was ruined by her naivety and beauty, as well as who was in love with her. Let's take a closer look at what kind of character Esmeralda is.

Childhood

The little girl was stolen from her mother Paquetta by Spanish gypsies. In exchange, they left behind a child known as Quasimodo. It was they who gave her the name Esmeralda. The character was named Agnes from birth.

Return to Paris

After the girl grew up in a gypsy camp, she returned to Paris, where she began to earn money through dancing and showing off her trained goat named Jalli. She had to live in a very disadvantaged area, whose population consisted of gypsies, thieves, professional beggars and other rabble. But she was absolutely safe there, since all the residents loved her for her kindness, beauty and spontaneity.

Beauty

What kind of character is Esmeralda? This is a girl of extraordinary beauty. In the work, the author compares her to an angel or fairy. Everyone who saw her was fascinated. Despite the fact that the girl’s height was small, she still seemed tall due to the slenderness of her figure. Her skin was dark in the evening, and during the day it shone with a wonderful golden hue, which was characteristic of the Romans or Andalusians. She had a very small leg. She walked very gracefully. In movement, she seemed to be dancing, spinning and fluttering. Whenever her sweet face appeared in front of someone, everyone was blinded like lightning by the look of her big black eyes.

Love

Despite all the beauty that the character possesses, Esmeralda is a girl of limited intelligence. Even though she had behind her life experience, she remained very naive. Esmeralda didn't understand people at all. That is why she fell in love with Captain Phoebus, who was an empty man. He, being the head of the patrol, saved her from Quasimodo. Phoebus also had feelings for the girl, but they were of a different kind and were simple lust.

Despite the fact that the girl’s beauty brought income and attracted many people to the performances, it ruined her. The priest Claude Frollo and his adopted son, a hunchback named Quasimodo, also fell very much in love with her.

The priest was a very strong personality. He tried with all his might to fight the temptation that gripped him, but his passion was stronger than the desire for knowledge and faith in God. In a rage, he stabbed Phoebus, and suspicion of murder fell on Esmeralda. In addition, she was accused of witchcraft. And at that time it was worse than any other crime.

Sentence to death

The girl was captured, tortured and tried. The priest offered her his help, but on the condition that the girl would love him. Esmeralda, who loved Phoebus very much, refused him. After she was tortured and unable to withstand the pain, the girl agreed with the charges and confessed to witchcraft. She was sentenced to death, but Quasimodo saved her by pulling her out of the loop. He hid her behind the walls of the same

The beggars and robbers who were Esmeralda's brothers decided to rescue her from the monastery, because they thought that she was imprisoned there. Thus, a situation arose that was disastrous for Esmeralda. The brothers began to take the cathedral by storm, and Quasimodo defended himself, because he thought that they wanted to grab the girl and hang her. He successfully fought back, and the king’s troops later dispersed the crowd.

In the end, Esmeralda was hanged anyway. Before her execution, fate brought her together with her real mother, who could not save her. At the wrong moment, the girl saw Phoebus passing by and called him. This attracted attention and she was found.

Character on screen

The film of the same name, which appeared in 1956, became the most successful on-screen incarnation of the girl. Actress Gina Lollobrigida appeared in a striking image. In the film, the girl was not hanged, but killed with an arrow.

And this is not the only film adaptation. For example, in the 1996 cartoon the girl was not killed - Esmeralda is such a bright character. Disney is the company that produced animated film“The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” she decided to let the girl live and make her happy with Phoebus. She later appeared in the animated series.

The novel we are interested in was created by Victor Hugo in 1831. "Notre Dame Cathedral" - first historical work which was written on French. This novel is still very popular today. There are numerous film adaptations, as well as musical works, based on the work of Victor Hugo. “Notre Dame de Paris” is a work, like all novels, of large volume. We will describe only the main events and also present characteristics of the main characters.

First, we will introduce the reader to the plot of such a work as “Notre Dame Cathedral.”

By someone's hand, in one of the towers of the cathedral, the word "rock" was inscribed in Greek. After some time it disappeared. This is how a book about a hunchback, a priest and a gypsy arose.

On January 6, 1482, on the feast of Epiphany, a mystery called “The Righteous Judgment of the Blessed Virgin Mary” was to take place in the Palace of Justice. A crowd of people gathers at the palace to watch it. However, after the performance begins (the author of the mystery is Pierre Gringoire), the cardinal appears with the ambassadors. The audience's attention is immediately drawn to the appearing officials. The guest mocks Pierre's performance and suggests having fun differently - choosing a buffoonish dad. The one who makes the most creepy grimace will be the winner.

Esmeralda's failed kidnapping

At this moment, attention is drawn to the bell ringer Quasimodo, known for his ugliness. He is dressed, as he should be, in a robe, and then taken away to walk with him through the streets. After this, Gringoire hopes to continue the play, but someone’s cry that Esmeralda is dancing in the square leads the audience in that direction. Esmeralda is a gypsy who entertains the gathered crowd with her goat. After Quasimodo appears in the square, the girl is almost kidnapped. Gringoire, who heard her screams, immediately calls for help. Phoebe de Chateaupert, captain, becomes Esmeralda's savior.

The Rescue of Gringoire and the Punishment of Quasimodo

Pierre, by the will of fate, gets to the block where thieves and beggars live. They want to test Gringoire. He must pull out a wallet from the stuffed animal on which the bells are hung, without making any noise. Otherwise, death awaits him. However, Pierre fails and is awaiting execution. Only a woman can save Gringoire, and Esmeralda takes on this role. The day after unsuccessful attempt Quasimodo's kidnapping is put on trial. He will have to be scourged. A large crowd watches his punishment. Quasimodo is then stoned. But then Esmeralda appears. She rises to Quasimodo and brings a flask of water to his lips.

Meeting with Chateaupert, attempted murder by Claude Frollo

After some time, Esmeralda is invited to the house of Phoebus de Chateaupert. Here he wants to have fun with his bride and her friends. When Esmeralda appears, her beauty amazes everyone, as Victor Hugo (Notre Dame de Paris) notes. When this gypsy's goat puts together the word "Phoebus" from letters, the bride faints. The gypsy is in love with the captain and is even ready to stop searching for her parents. During a meeting with Chateaupert, Esmeralda is confronted by a priest with a dagger who hates her. The girl loses consciousness. When she comes to her senses, she finds out that she allegedly killed Chateaupere.

The court verdict and the rescue of Esmeralda

Gringoire, worried about Esmeralda, learns a month later that she is to be tried at the Palace of Justice. Since the girl is innocent, she denies everything. However, after torture, Esmeralda still admits the crimes attributed to her: the murder of de Chateaupert, prostitution and witchcraft. She is sentenced to repentance, after which she is to be hanged near Notre Dame Cathedral. Claude Frollo, in love with her, offers to escape to Esmeralda, but the girl rejects his proposal. The priest responds by stating that Phoebus is alive. This is confirmed on the day of the execution, when Esmeralda sees her lover in one of the windows. Quasimodo picks up the gypsy who has fallen unconscious. He takes her hastily to the Cathedral, thereby providing refuge for the girl.

Life of Esmeralda in the Cathedral, assault

Staying here is also not easy for Esmeralda. She cannot get used to such an ugly hunchback. Quasimodo gives her a whistle so that if necessary, the gypsy can call for help. However, the archdeacon, in a fit of jealousy, attacks the girl. She is saved by Quasimodo, who almost kills Claude Frollo. However, the archdeacon cannot calm down. He calls through Gringoire thieves and beggars in order to storm the Cathedral. Pierre, no matter how much Quasimodo defends the gypsy, manages to take her from the Cathedral. When news of the riot reaches the king, he orders Esmeralda's execution. Claude drags her to Roland's Tower.

Final Events

Hugo's book "Notre Dame de Paris" is already approaching its finale. The author transfers the action to Roland's Tower, where Paquette Chant-Fleury, who hates Esmeralda, lives. Once upon a time, her daughter was taken away from her. However, it suddenly turns out that Esmeralda is her missing girl. The mother fails to save the gypsy from execution. She falls dead when they try to stop her from being taken away. The work created by Victor Hugo (“Notre Dame de Paris”) ends with the following events: Esmeralda is executed, and then Quasimodo pushes Claude into a cliff. Thus, everyone whom the unfortunate hunchback loved is dead.

So, we have described the main events that are depicted in the work "Notre Dame Cathedral". Its analysis, presented below, will introduce you closer to the main characters of this novel.

Quasimodo

Quasimodo is central character works. His image is powerful and bright, of amazing strength, simultaneously attractive and repulsive. Perhaps, of all the other characters we meet while reading the work “Notre Dame Cathedral,” it is Quasimodo who most closely matches the aesthetic ideals of romanticism. The hero rises like a gigantic giant above a series of ordinary people absorbed in everyday activities. It is customary to draw parallels between him and Esmeralda (the opposition is ugliness and beauty), between Claude Frollo and Quasimodo (selfishness and selflessness); and also between Phoebus and Quasimodo (the deceit of an aristocrat, petty narcissism and the greatness of the human spirit) in the work “Notre Dame Cathedral”. These images are interconnected, their characters are largely revealed when interacting with each other.

What else can you say about this bell ringer? The image of Quasimodo from the work “Notre Dame Cathedral,” the analysis of which interests us, in terms of its impact can only be compared with the image of the Cathedral, which exists on the pages of the novel on an equal footing with living characters. The author himself more than once emphasizes the connection between his hero, who grew up at the temple, and Notre Dame.

In terms of events, the life story of Quasimodo is extremely simple. It is known that the hunchback of Notre Dame Cathedral was planted 16 years ago in the cradle from which Esmeralda was kidnapped. He was about four years old then. Already in childhood, the baby was distinguished by striking deformity. He only disgusted everyone. The boy was baptized, thus expelling the “devil,” and then sent to Paris, to Notre Dame. Here they wanted to throw him into the fire, but Claude Frollo, a young priest, stood up for the child. He adopted him and named him Quasimodo (this is what Catholics call the first Sunday after Easter - the day the boy was discovered). Since then, Notre Dame Cathedral has become his home. Content later life its next.

Quasimodo became a bell ringer. People didn't like him because he was ugly. They laughed at him and insulted him, not wanting to see the selfless, noble soul behind the ugly appearance. Quasimodo's passion was bells. They replaced the joy of communication for him and at the same time led to a new misfortune: Quasimodo became deaf from the ringing of bells.

We first meet him when he is elected the pope of jesters for his ugly appearance. That same day, late in the evening, he tries to kidnap Esmeralda at the request of his mentor and is put on trial for this. The judge was as deaf as Quasimodo, and, fearing that his deafness would be revealed, he decided to punish the bell-ringer more severely, without even imagining why he was punishing him. Quasimodo ended up in the pillory as a result. The crowd that had gathered here mocked him, and no one allowed the hunchback to drink except Esmeralda.

Two destinies are intertwined - a rootless freak and a beauty. Quasimodo saves Esmeralda, gives her his cell and food. Noticing that she reacts painfully to his appearance, she tries to catch the girl’s eye as rarely as possible. He sleeps at the entrance to the cell on the stone floor, protecting the peace of the gypsy. Only when the girl is sleeping does he allow himself to admire her. Quasimodo, seeing how she suffers, wants to bring Phoebus to her. Jealousy, like other manifestations of selfishness and egoism, is alien to him.

As the novel progresses, the image of Quasimodo changes, he becomes more and more attractive. At first they talked about his savagery and viciousness, but later there is no basis for such characteristics. Quasimodo begins to write poetry, trying in this way to open the girl’s eyes to what she does not want to see - the beauty of his heart. Quasimodo is ready to destroy everything, even the Cathedral, in the name of saving the gypsy. Only Claude Frollo, who is the root cause of troubles, until his hand is raised. Quasimodo was only able to speak out against him when he saw how he laughed triumphantly when Esmeralda was executed. And the bell-ringer pushed him into the abyss with his own hands. Last moments The author does not describe the life of Quasimodo. However tragic ending is revealed when, looking at the figure of Esmeralda in the noose and the silhouette of Frollo from the heights of the Cathedral, he says that this is all he loved.

Esmeralda

Of course, in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris, Esmeralda is one of the main characters. This girl is a true genius of pure beauty. It's not just her appearance that is perfect. The author repeatedly emphasizes that everything is illuminated with a magical radiance when Esmeralda appears. She is like a torch illuminating the darkness. It is impossible to imagine that this girl would deliberately cause harm to anyone, as the other main characters of the novel we are interested in are capable of. She, without hesitation, saves Gringoire from the gallows, agreeing to recognize him as her husband for 4 years, according to Gypsy laws. She is the only one of the entire crowd who feels sorry for Quasimodo, who is dying of thirst, having given him a drink from a flask. If you can find a small flaw in this gypsy, it relates to the sphere of intuition and reason. The girl is completely blind and also very trusting. It’s not worth any effort to lure her into the net. She is too carried away by her own dreams and fantasies to foresee danger and look at things realistically.

Esmeralda naturally has self-esteem and pride. She is beautiful when she sings or dances. However, having fallen in love with Phoebus, the girl forgets about these qualities of hers. She tells her lover: “I am your slave.” Her inherently beautiful love for Phoebus sometimes makes her cruel to the people around her, who truly idolize her. The girl is ready to force Quasimodo to spend day and night waiting for her lover. She shows displeasure when she notices that the hunchback is returning alone, and even drives him away in a fit of irritation, forgetting what she owes to the bell-ringer. Moreover, she cannot believe that Phoebus did not want to come to her. She blames Quasimodo for what happened. Esmeralda also forgets about her mother, whom she found so unexpectedly. All she needs is the distant sound of her lover’s voice to reveal her presence, thereby predetermining her own death, as well as the death of her mother and Quasimodo.

Claude Frollo

This is the archdeacon serving at Notre Dame Cathedral. He is wise in various sciences. This is a rational and proud person who is overwhelmed by passion for Esmeralda. Frollo pursues the girl relentlessly and is ready to commit any crime in order to get her. He instructs Quasimodo, his pupil, to kidnap the gypsy, and also tries to kill Captain de Chateaupert, her beloved. The girl is accused of attempted murder and sentenced to death. Then Frollo invites her to flee in exchange for satisfying his fatal passion. When Esmeralda refuses, he incites the ragamuffins of Paris to take the Cathedral in which the girl has taken refuge by storm. Claude, in the midst of this massacre, kidnaps Esmeralda. The girl again rejects his love. Enraged by the death of his younger brother, who took part in the attack, Frollo gives his beloved to death.

Being the main driver of the action of the work, Claude himself is a rather traditional figure. He embodies a type of demonic churchman who is obsessed with passion for a woman. This type was inherited from the Gothic novel, which depicts similar protagonists. The image of Frollo, on the other hand, resembles Doctor Faustus in his learning and dissatisfaction with it. This side of the character connects the archdeacon with the line of Hugo’s novel.

Image of the Cathedral

The image of the Cathedral in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris is very important. Hugo created his novel with the goal of featuring Notre Dame as the main character. At that time, they wanted to either modernize the building or demolish it. First in France, and then throughout Europe, a movement began for the restoration and preservation of Gothic monuments after the publication of Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame de Paris.

Notre Dame is a typical Gothic building. For this architectural style characterized by a striving upward, combined with the understanding that without earthly support the sky is unattainable. Gothic buildings seem to float in the air, they seem weightless. However, this is only at first glance. The cathedral was actually built by hundreds of craftsmen who were endowed with wild, truly popular imagination.

Notre Dame, first of all, is the center of the folk and religious life of Parisians. Commoners who are capable of fighting for a better future gather around him. It is also a refuge for those expelled: while a person is outside its walls, no one has the right to arrest him. The cathedral is also a symbol of oppression (feudal and religious).

Hugo did not at all idealize the Middle Ages. In the novel we find a fiery love for the Motherland, for its art and history, high poetry, depiction dark sides feudalism. Notre Dame Cathedral is an eternal structure that is indifferent to the vanity of human life.

First historical novel in French, Notre Dame has inspired many directors. Victor Hugo wrote his work to protect a cultural monument from demolition. Following the publication of the novel, a movement for the preservation and restoration of Gothic buildings developed in France and then throughout Europe.

The directors paid attention to romantic story, putting it on the same level in popularity as the play "Romeo and Juliet"..

"Esmeralda", 1905

The first attempt to bring history to the screen was made at the beginning of the 20th century. Alice Guy-Blaché and Victorena Jasse directed a silent short drama film. The plot is based on the life of the gypsy beauty Esmeralda and the hunchback bell ringer Quasimodo.

Hugo's novel was first filmed in 1905

This is the only film adaptation that preserves the details of Esmeralda's origin and character from the original source. Unfortunately, this film can no longer be found.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame", 1923

American Wallace Worsley, inspired by Hugo, made a drama with elements of a horror film.

According to the plot, the archdeacon of the cathedral persuades Quasimodo to kidnap the beautiful Esmeralda. The hunchback agrees, but this crime fails - the girl is saved by officer Phoebus de Chateaupert.

Hugo's novel inspired Wallace Worsley's horror film

A detailed model of the cathedral measuring about 75 meters in height and 50 meters in width was created especially for filming. About 4 thousand extras were involved in the film, for whom appropriate costumes were specially made. In total, 1 million 250 thousand dollars were spent on the production of the film, which was a huge amount at that time.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame", 1939

Quasimodo, in love with Esmeralda, tries to save her and kidnaps her and locks her in his tower. But the beauty is rescued from there by her unloved husband. By the way, despite the marriage, the girl remains pure, as she keeps an amulet that will help her find her parents. And the amulet loses its value after losing virginity.

"Notre Dame Cathedral", 1956

This is perhaps the most famous and beloved film adaptation by viewers. The large-scale project was staged by Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner director Jean Delannoy. Location shooting, luxurious costumes and great acting famous actors Gina Lollobrigida, Anthony Quinn and Alain Cuny were appreciated by both critics and audiences.

Gina Lollobrigida is considered the best screen embodiment of Esmeralda

Gina Lollobrigida in this film is considered the most successful screen embodiment of Esmeralda. One of the reasons for the success, apparently, is that the actress decided to play a barefoot gypsy.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame", 1996

The animated Disney film is directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Truesdale, who directed the 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast. To adapt the novel for children, the creators changed the characters of the main characters, making them kinder. Frollo's position was changed from archdeacon to judge. Quasimodo now has assistants - three gargoyles. And in the finale, the bell ringer and Esmeralda survived.

The animators of the film visited the real Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and took many photographs to clearly reproduce the architecture and details, but there were inaccuracies in the plot of the cartoon interior decoration cathedral

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the first Disney film to use the word curse.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame", 1997

The film, directed by Peter Medak, fairly accurately conveys the love story that unfolds in the novel. In this case, the main rivalry arises between Frollo and Quasimodo.

Esmeralda in the original novel

In Victor Hugo's novel, Esmeralda's story is revealed gradually. Esmeralda first appears as a beautiful young girl living in the Parisian “Court des Miracles” (an abode of beggars and criminals), earning money by dancing and performing with her trained goat, Jalli. The poet Pierre Gringoire, the priest Claude Frollo and the ugly bell-ringer Quasimodo fall in love with her. Frollo, with the help of Quasimodo, tries to steal Esmeralda, but she is saved by officer Phoebus de Chateaupert. Esmeralda falls in love with her savior.

The image of Esmeralda in the novel is complex and tragic. She is the embodiment of chastity and naivety, completely different from the other inhabitants of the “Court of Miracles”. Even the fact that she has to dance for a living does not corrupt her. She has kind heart: she brings water to Quasimodo when he is tied to pillory; In order to save Gringoire, a stranger to her, from death, she agrees to formally be called his wife. But her openness and naivety almost lead to disaster: having fallen in love for the first time in her life, she is ready to give herself to Captain Phoebus, even though she is sure that with the loss of her innocence, the opportunity to ever meet her parents will go away.

The girl knows that the gypsies who raised her are not her parents, she passionately wants to find her real mother and wears an amulet around her neck, which contains a tiny child's embroidered shoe - the only thing that she got from her real mother: Esmeralda hopes for it someday find, but, according to the instructions given to her with the shoe, for this she needs to preserve her virginity. Gradually, the story of Esmeralda's origin is revealed to the reader.

The girl's mother's name was Paquette Chantfleury, she was the daughter of a famous minstrel from Reims. But the minstrel died, leaving his little daughter and wife without funds. They made a living by embroidery and lived extremely modestly. Paquetta blossomed early and began to attract the attention of noble men. She fell in love with one of them and became his mistress when she was barely 14 years old. But the flighty signor soon abandoned the girl, and she “went from hand to hand,” sinking lower and lower: from aristocrats to simpler men. Paquette, who had become an ordinary prostitute, was saved from complete degradation by pregnancy: at the age of 20, she gave birth to a lovely girl, whom she named Agnes. After giving birth, the girl who had once faded became very prettier, and her “services” were again in value. She spent everything that Paquette earned on clothes for her beloved baby.

One day a gypsy camp arrived in Reims, and Paquette, like many other mothers, could not resist and went with her daughter to the gypsies to find out the future of their child. Beautiful girl delighted the gypsies, and a few days later they stole it, throwing Paquette into the cradle of an ugly, hunchbacked and lame boy of about four years old. Unhappy Paquette turned gray from grief overnight and lost her mind: having found traces of fires and blood stains in the place where the camp that disappeared one night stood, she decided that the gypsies had eaten her child.

Paquette soon disappeared from Reims. Some said that she drowned herself, others that she was seen on the road to the capital. The Archbishop of Reims ordered the deformed foundling to be sent to Paris and placed in a nursery near the orphanage (this child was Quasimodo).

Esmeralda is sentenced to death on a false charge: Claude Frollo, tormented by jealousy, wounds Phoebus during his meeting with Esmeralda, and goes into hiding. Quasimodo takes her out of the loop and hides her in the Cathedral. She lives there for some time, never stopping to think about Phoebus (whose wound turned out to be minor, but who had already forgotten the gypsy). Quasimodo understands that she will never be able to reciprocate his feelings, but he is happy because he can protect her.

Claude Frollo and Gringoire rescue the girl from the besieged cathedral, thereby saving her from death. They take it across the Seine. Claude gives her a choice: either she agrees to be with him, or she will be hanged. Esmeralda refuses to flee the city with the “murderer” of Phoebus. The archdeacon leaves her to the old woman Gudula, and goes after the guards to hand over the gypsy. Gudula is a recluse who fiercely hates the gypsies because they once stole her only daughter, holds Esmeralda. Gudula curses the girl and shows her her daughter’s shoe, at this moment Esmeralda shows exactly the same bootie. Here it turns out that Gudula is Paquetta Chantfleury, Esmeralda’s mother, but it turns out too late. Paquetta hides the girl from the soldiers, but seeing Phoebus among them, Esmeralda, not thinking about the consequences, naively calls him. The girl was immediately hanged, and her mother died, unable to bear the second loss of her daughter.

In productions and film adaptations of the novel, the details of the heroine’s birth are usually omitted and she is portrayed as a gypsy. The image of brilliant purity and innocence invented by Hugo is often omitted; instead, Esmeralda appears in the image of a fatal beauty. Often the meaning of her name is played on in Esmeralda's appearance, making her green-eyed or dressing her in a green dress.

Esmeralda in the musical "Notre Dame de Paris"

Esmeralda in the musical is not a stolen French girl, but a gypsy orphan girl from Spain. If in the novel it was implied that everything positive about her came from her French origin, then in the musical these were her personal qualities, which are also possible in a simple gypsy. In the musical, she does not have a trained goat; she earns money only by dancing. Many researchers of Hugo's work [ Who?] believe that the presence of Djali in the musical is fundamentally important, because there is an opinion that the goat embodies tragedy (“tragedy” in Greek is “goat song”).

Esmeralda in film adaptations

In the film Notre Dame (1956)

Gina Lollobrigida in this film is considered the most successful screen embodiment of Esmeralda. One of the reasons for the success, apparently, is serious work on the external component of her image: on the one hand, it uses associations with gypsyism (bare feet, a bright scarf, a torn hem), on the other hand, it reflects her character (both of Esmeralda’s dresses are pure “ fiery" colors, red and yellow, their style emphasizes her youthful fragility and the impetuosity of her movements). The ending is partially changed compared to the original source: Esmeralda was killed with an arrow during the storming of the cathedral. Her last words: “Life is beautiful” (fr. C'est beauty, la vie).

Many years later, Lollobrigida created a sculpture depicting Esmeralda in dance.

In the 1996 Walt Disney Studios cartoon

In the cartoon, Esmeralda is a gypsy. This beautiful girl who makes a living by dancing.

Appearance

As mentioned above, Esmeralda is a gypsy. She is slim, has tanned skin, blue-black long hair and green eyes, giving her sophistication and femininity. Unlike the novel, she appears to be about 20-25 years old.

Character

She has a lively and independent character. She is brave, smart, naive and strong, very kind and fair.

Relationship

Quasimodo

The very first time they meet is at the Feast of Fools, and when the crowd begins to mock him, Esmeralda frees him from his shackles and publicly insults Frollo for not helping and despising the gypsies. Quasimodo is like a friend and brother to her. In addition, he often turns to her for advice (and vice versa).

Captain Phoebus

At first she didn't get along very well with him. But then feelings arose between them...

Judge Claude Frollo

For her, he poses a serious danger, but despite his strength and power, she is not afraid of him. He is in love with Esmeralda, but only disgusts the girl. This can be seen in the cathedral, when Phoebus leaves, Claude approaches her from behind and begins to become physically attracted to her (though it is unknown what kind of love he actually has for her: true or physical). However, at their first meeting, at a holiday, during her dance she comes up to him and kisses him on the tip of his nose (he also feels constrained).