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1Unless otherwise noted, these Wild Mass Guesses refer to [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney the Disney film]].
2----
3
4[[foldercontrol]]
5
6[[folder: Plot]]
7[[WMG: Frollo sold his soul during the Hellfire sequence.]]
8There are several things that imply this. First of all, the song's imagery itself suggests such a transaction taking place. Secondly, his actions after said sequence seemed far more radical and cruel, even for someone as obsessed as him. Third, during the song "Hellfire," he says some lyrics that sound as if he is making a deal with someone: "Destroy Esmeralda/And let her taste the fires of Hell/Or else let her be mine, and mine alone!" Those lines were the deal he made with the Devil.
9
10Also, remember the scene where he burns down that one house? Notice that the moment he puts his torch to it the house it instantly burns up. Is this really a result of extreme flammability, or is he actually using flames from hell to burn it?
11
12However, the biggest moment to support this is during the climax, which appears to take place in hell itself. As Frollo attempts to lay the final blow against Esmeralda, his eyes appear to turn yellow and says “He shall plunge the wicked into the fiery pit” a line that could either refer to god, or the devil itself. However, as the cathedral breaks, he grabs on to a gargoyle. At that moment, the gargoyle springs to life, taking on a demon like face, and breaking to drop him into the pit of fire. It seems like that gargoyle could have actually been the face of the devil, which personally killed Frollo, perhaps as punishment for failing to kill Esmeralda and the rest.
13** Your point about the lyrics "Destroy Esmeralda..." would be good, if it wasn't for the fact that he sings that while addressing the Virgin Mary.
14*** The devil could have still heard it and hijacked the prayer even if it wasn't directed at him.
15
16** Or that he switched to addressing the devil after finding out she escaped and threatens to burn down all of Paris. Specifically when he began telling "Hellfire, dark fire" about his deal.
17
18* Frollo doesn't even need to sell his soul. After all the things he did (and I mean even before he started lusting for Esmeralda), his soul may already belong to Hell, since there is no chance he would repent for his sins.
19** For the last point, heh, citation needed. With a certain amount of time and a certain amount of humility beaten into him, perhaps he could eventually repent. He's not a sociopath - he can ''definitely'' feel guilt, it's all over ''Hellfire'' (even if it's for the wrong things) — so I think a few centuries in purgatory might fix him up.
20
21[[WMG: Frollo already had his way with Esmeralda by the Hellfire sequence.]]
22We get it, Frollo: Esmeralda's hot. But why exactly are you burning down all of Paris to get her?
23
24From this perspective, his motivations make much more sense: he might have forced himself on her, suffered subsequent rejection, and is now freaking out over it. Add on the possibility that an STD is affecting his senses, and the imagery/insanity behind the Hellfire scene is also somewhat more sensible.
25** You're implying he contracted an advanced-stage STD (things like syphilis and gonorrhea don't cause mental decay till the tertiary stage for syph, and advanced stage for the clap). in what has to be less than a month or two? [[ArtisticLicenseBiology I'm sorry, what?]]
26** And if Frollo went crazy because he caught an STD from Esmeralda, why is she still sane?
27
28[[WMG: The Archdeacon cared only for the reputation of the church.]]
29It may seem like he is a kind and caring person, but in reality, it appears that his only concern is to keep his church's reputation, with no concern about the wellbeing of others
30
31First, when he faces Frollo at the beginning he seems more concerned that he both killed someone, and was going to kill a baby “on the steps of Notre Dame”. He claims the fact that they’re in front of the church twice in regards to the crimes being committed. Therefore, it’s possible that he merely cares about the fact that they are in front of the church, and evil actions that are being performed.
32* Quite the contrary. The church references are an expression of the Archdeacon's indignation at Frollo's evil, or rather the boundless nature of it. Remember that Frollo is a deeply religious man, but appears to have no qualms about murdering people in a place that was considered sacred by almost everyone in the timeframe (Quasimodo's mother claimed sanctuary, i.e. sacred protection. The Archdeacon probably heard her cries but was too late to save her). The Archdeacon also uses the church references to remind Frollo of the sanctity of the place and to scare him into a guilt trip by invoking the saints. It scares Frollo into backing down. The Archdeacon did blackmail Frollo, but not because he wanted to protect the church.
33* Also, the Archdeacon seems to be at least somewhat aware that Frollo has apparently committed some... unsavory actions in the past. However, he still at least ''claims'' to be religious. Perhaps the Archdeacon thought that appealing to what little was left of Frollo's conscience was the ''only way'' to get through to him? And hey, it ''did'' [[HeelRealization work]]... if only for [[IgnoredEpiphany a few seconds]]...
34
35When Esmeralda seeks sanctuary in the church, he stops Frollo from dragging her outside, saying that “Frollo learned a long time ago to respect the sanctity of the church.” After Frollo leaves however, he does nothing to attempt to help her escape, or even spends much time comforting her, basically telling her to go pray and hope for the best. As such, he never cared if she is caught or not, but he simply wanted to make sure that the laws of sanctuary were not broken.
36* He already helped her by upholding sanctuary and doing more was outside his purview. The church had the right to secure sanctuary, but anything else would have been aiding and abetting crime (and Frollo defined crime in Paris). If the Archdeacon had helped, Frollo would have suspended by law the authority of the Archdeacon inside church grounds effectively annulling Esmeralda's sanctuary. The second question that needs to be answered is: what could he have done? Frollo's guards were patrolling the area around the Cathedral (as evidenced by the guard reporting her escape midway Hellfire). The Archdeacon would have had to arrange outside help, most probably from Clopin and his Gypsies (with whom the Archdeacon probably didn't have contact before, and considering the secrecy of the Court of Miracles he would not have succeeded in doing it on his own). To help Esmeralda he would have had to abandon his daily routine (archdeacons do have a job, you know?) all without giving the guards any hints that 'something was up'. No, I think the Archdeacon did enough and cared enough.
37
38The final time we see him is when he confronts Frollo during the climax. At this moment, he is attacking Notre Dame itself. However, notice how he only confronts him now, and not when Frollo was burning down Paris or executing dozens, perhaps hundreds of people, less then one hundred feet away from him. It is only when he attacks the church that he confronts him.
39
40But the biggest, the BIGGEST evidence for this comes from the fact that he allowed Quasimodo to be trapped in his bell tower for twenty years, without doing anything. Frollo even says that he plans to keep him where no one can see him, and that he will “one day be of use to me”, yet the Archdeacon does nothing to try and stop him or even comments on his plan. This could be because he was useful as a ringer, but it’s more likely because he simply didn’t care what happened to him.
41* The Archdeacon is instrumental in saving Quasimodo in the first place! Unfortunately it involved a bargain with Frollo, and Frollo got to dictate some of the terms. The Archdeacon could stop Frollo from killing Quasimodo, but in exchange Frollo would be in charge of his upbringing. Frollo didn't like being humiliated, so he kept Quasimodo from sight. With regards to Paris burning down, as stated below, the Archdeacon did not have political authority. Besides, where is the King when you need him? Frollo was burning down his capital! Secondly, who says that he didn't protest? Considering his many scrapes with Frollo before, he may have tried to stop him off screen but Frollo may (very) well have paid him no heed. The Archdeacon was very effective with Frollo as far as it concerned religious blackmail, but he held very little sway over the rest of Frollo's life. Remember that the objections to innocent and summary killing by Phoebus, a secular and military man, did not help either.
42* The Archdeacon's a member of the Clergy, Frollo's a Judge. There's only so much power the Archdeacon can exert over Frollo. Furthermore, the separation of Church and State is already well defined in 18th Century France. The Archdeacon was bound by his vow not to interfere in political affairs, although this was not always the case in RealLife.
43* The Archdeacon was an old man in the film so he wouldn't be able to stop Frollo even if he wanted to. He was probably "turning the other cheek". Besides in that time period the physically deformed were believed to be a sin so Quasimodo would have been killed if he wasn't trapped in the bell tower.
44* Also, when they were preparing to burn Esmeralda at the stake, the Archdeacon started angrily stomping out of the cathedral when he saw only to be stopped by Frollo's guards. It is most likely that he was trying to intervene and stop them from executing Esmeralda even though she was outside the sanctuary of his cathedral.
45** Let's not forget that suggesting Frollo care for the baby is a terrible idea. He could have just suggested Frollo save his own soul by sparing the baby, or something. If you can call an infant a monster and toss it down a well, you're not qualified to look after it.
46
47[[WMG: Esmeralda was secretly a villain all along.]]
48Think about it. She probably teased Frollo with a fake kiss in order to further drive him mad with lust. Her plan almost backfires when she gets imprisoned inside the cathedral, but she escapes. Frollo goes apeshit and burns down Paris to find her. What if Esmeralda was just using him as a pawn to cause chaos and destruction by pulling a {{Batman Gambit}} on him?
49* This WMG seems like a severe form of Victim-blaming,since when does a second of teasing make her responsible for his attempted murder?
50** ''Especially'' when her flirting's likely something she does for ''many'' of her performances.
51
52[[WMG: Quasimodo was adopted by the Roma woman we saw at the beginning of the film.]]
53Quasimodo looks nothing like her if she was his mother. If he is her son he should at least look a bit like her, but he doesn't. She might have taken pity on a newborn baby she found, which was left to die for being deformed.
54
55[[WMG: Frollo unwittingly saved Quasimodo.]]
56The gypsy woman caring for baby Quasi was attached to him, but the other two only took him in under the lucrative idea of having a deformed child as a sideshow, since, in this continuity, all gypsies are circus performers.
57* Note how she calls him "little one" , rather than any particular ''name''.
58
59[[WMG: {{God}} and {{Satan}} do Frollo in]]
60God could've made the gargoyle on which the SinisterMinister was standing, and allows Satan to finish the job, since he didn't want to be seen as a murderer. This could've also explained why the gargoyle snarled at Frollo.
61* The Old Testament reveals that God does smite those He considers wicked. In fact Frollo invoked (blasphemed?) God, by saying '[[SmiteMeOMightySmiter And He shall smite the wicked, and plunge them into the fiery pit]]'. [[BoltOfDivineRetribution God obliged]] by casting the wicked Frollo into the fiery pit below.
62** What Frollo was doing would go under blasphemy. Hence the express ticket to Hell.
63
64[[WMG: The whole movie is just one line of [[MoralEventHorizon moral event horizons]] that Frollo crosses.]]
65** ... That's GUESSING?
66
67[[WMG: Clopin made up the entire story.]]
68Clopin recounts events in Quasimodo’s life that only Frollo and the Archdeacon would have known, people he (to our knowledge) had no contact with.
69
70Secondly, Quasimodo was born to a Gypsy mother, yet he’s white with red hair? A lapse in Clopin’s memory whilst recounting the story?
71
72Furthermore, he might be going out of his way to demonize Frollo, someone who hated his kind, and glorifying Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Phoebus.
73
74Also, talking gargoyles? Even if that were real, would Quasi REALLY be telling people about them?
75
76Not to mention the shameless self-inserts.
77
78[[/folder]]
79
80[[folder: Characters]]
81
82[[WMG: The guard who interrupts Hellfire is actually an angel sent by God.]]
83Frollo's prayer during his song was indeed answered and the guard who interrupted was an angel sent to help him. The light behind the guard is the light of Heaven and the fire behind Frollo is Hell. The guard's tone sounds calm and pleading in comparison to the usual boorish and rude tone the Brutish and Oafish guards have. The guard sounds as though he's pleading for Frollo to let go of his self-destructive obsession. Despite Frollo having previously prayed to be free of his lust for Esmeralda, instead of listening to the angel, Frollo gives into his obsession and starts to hunt down Esmeralda. The door being shut behind the guard after Frollo tells him to get out symbolizes Frollo denying himself entrance into Heaven.
84
85[[WMG: Frollo's hat seals a gateway to hell.]]
86The hat was placed on Frollo’s head, which either seals, or suppresses a gateway to the underworld. Notice that the two times he is seen without his hat (the Hellfire sequence and the Climax) the environment changes to a hellish one. It is only when his hat is on that the power of the underworld can be suppressed.
87* LOL! This may also explain why the animators hated drawing it, because they knew its true secret.
88
89[[WMG: Even in the Disney version, Frollo and the Archdeacon are the same person.]]
90The story as we see it is being told from the perspective of the children being told the story by Clopin, who incorrectly assume that the "Archdeacon" character Clopin refers to is a separate person. In most scenes he represents Frollo's more moral and kind side. This means:
91# Frollo decided to adopt Quasimodo out of kindness, as in the novel. He initially wants to drown him, but ultimately takes pity, the Archdeacon representing his conscience and his guilt for killing Quasimodo's mother.
92# Frollo himself made the decision not to defile the sanctuary of the church, but was initially tempted to do so. In the following scene where Esmeralda is talking to the Archdeacon, Frollo is just being AffablyEvil. Imagine him saying lines like: ''Don't act rashly, child. You created quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse my anger further.''. Esmeralda is pulling a WhatTheHellHero on him in that scene.
93# The Archdeacon moves to intervene when Frollo has Esmeralda on the stake, but is blocked from leaving the church by the guards. In other words, he is actively suppressing his own morals.
94# When the Archdeacon tries to stop Frollo from assaulting Quasimodo in the final battle, he once again represents Frollo's conscience, but this time, Frollo's madness gets the better of him.
95* That Frollo and the Archdeacon look the complete opposite strengthens the theory that they reflect his good and evil sides. Where Frollo is tall, thin, ghastly-looking and wears all black, the Archdeacon is short, chubby, grandfatherly and wears all white. And don't forget Frollo claiming "My conscience is clear!" when Archdeacon calls him out for his willingness to commit two murders. It could represent his inner fight with pity and guilt. And it would also explain why the Archdeacon is nowhere to be seen when Frollo burns Paris. After Hellfire, he clearly lost the grasp from his sanity and conscience, and its last, desperate attempt is to stop him from attacking the church; but by then, he's too far off the deep end to listen.
96** [[FridgeLogic But then why is the Archdeacon still there after Frollo's dead?]]
97*** We never see him again until in the sequel, and really, who cares about what happens there? If you DO care, it could indicate that Frollo didn't die, he just repented and is now permanently the good Archdeacon character, or that the Archdeacon we see after that point is actually a different Archdeacon who the children just assume is the same guy by Clopin's narration.
98*** Actually, eagle-eyed viewers finally noticed him on the Blu-ray, in the shadows of the cathedral at the end as Phoebus and Esmeralda are with Quasi and guiding him out the door. Of course the fact no one acknowledges him (and that he's in the shadows) could mean he isn't really there, one last bit of Quasi's mind trying to grasp onto the love he thought Frollo bore him, making him appear to bless his friends' union and be happy for his acceptance by Paris...
99*** I like this theory a lot, but there's one problem; Esmeralda is present in one of the scenes where Frollo and the Archdeacon are talking with each other. Unless the Archdeacon in that scene is just a random clergyman who Frollo sees as being the Archdeacon in his mind?
100*** Any instance of Frollo and the Archdeacon speaking to each other is really just Frollo having an internal debate, presumably Esmeralda doesn't actually see any of it.
101* The above is how it ''really'' was, but Clopin (who is the narrator) changed it so that the children he was telling the story to would not be confused.
102
103[[WMG: Frollo is a [[https://www.webmd.com/sex/sapiosexual-what-it-means Sapiosexual]], who likes a forceful, strong, smart, independent woman.]]
104It was not, as we all suspected, Esmeralda's dancing and beauty that turned him on, but her independent thinking, her intelligence, her defeating him (the most intellectual man in Paris) in a debate, and her refusal to take his crap.
105
106[[WMG: Quasimodo and Esmeralda are brother and sister.]]
107Quasimodo's mother looks a little too much like Esmeralda when all other gypsies have a very distinctive look. It would help with how Esmeralda was so quick in accepting Quasimodo's deformity if she had vague memories of a baby brother who wasn't 'the same' as every body else...
108** Except we didn't see Esmeralda with the Gypsy woman. Assuming they were on the run, you'd think they'd take her as well, right?
109*** They could have gotten separated previously. In that case assuming the girl was dead or otherwise irretrievable would not be an uneducated assumption.
110** I'm not sure if Esmeralda's age was ever stated, but isn't she still supposed to be younger than Quasimodo is? If so, then she wouldn't have been born yet at the beginning of the movie and thus wouldn't know if she and Quasi were related or not.
111*** That negates the premise of the WMG. If she is younger than Quasimodo, then she can't be related to him by his mother, because she died. The whole point is that Esmeralda and his mother look alike.
112
113Or maybe the "dad" got released from the Palace of Justice and hooked up with the "mom"'s sister or cousin who just happened to look like the "mom" and had Esmeralda. (or it could have happened prior to the movie too). Maybe the dad had two children at the same time.
114** If this WMG were true, it would be a great ShoutOut of sorts to the original book, since there Esmerlada was taken from her non-Gypsy mother, and the baby that was left in her place ''was'' Quasimodo (they were close to the same age there), thus already suggesting a connection between them.
115
116[[WMG: The gargoyles and Quasi are under glamours.]]
117The glamours make the gargoyles seem inanimate, and they make Quasi seem stupid. When they are alone, Quasi is obviously much more articulate than when he is interacting with other people (note his rambling with Esmeralda and the whole "NO SOLDIERS! SANCTUARY!" bit with Phoebus.) Occasionally the glamour [[GlamourFailure slips]], and we have things like Djali seeing Hugo or Quasi interacting normally with Phoebus in the Court of Miracles.
118
119[[WMG: The gargoyles are Quasimodo's guardian angels.]]
120
121This makes a ton of sense, actually. If they are Quasi's guardian angels, it would make sense that Frollo can't interact with them and only sees them as stone, because they would recognize the true condition of his soul. It would also make sense that Esmeralda can't interact with them because even though she has a good soul, the gargoyles guard ''Quasimodo'' exclusively. Thirdly, this would explain the AnachronismStew that happens when the gargoyles come to life--angels exist outside of time, so at least one (Hugo) is privy to modern pop-culture references.
122
123[[WMG: Quasimodo IS Frollo's son.]]
124We are being told the story secondhand, and the only people that could really know the truth are Frollo and the Archdeacon (who, stated earlier, might be the same people). It's therefore possible that the story of the gypsies sneaking in was a fabrication of the puppet show. All Quasi knows is that his mother fought to save his life, and he could have passed this information on to those who asked.
125
126This explains why Frollo is so ashamed of Quasi, and has an obsession with Esmeralda, as she looks so similar to the other gypsy woman he loved. Along with that, it explains why Quasi doesn't have the distinctive gypsy look, and instead is more fair skinned with red hair.
127
128* This could also explain (beyond [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain bigotry]]) why Frollo was so convinced Gypsies were "not capable of real love"--because his Gypsy lover who was Quasi's mother left him/turned on him, leaving him alone with a deformed son.
129
130[[WMG: Quasimodo is a seer.]]
131His mother wasn't a fortune teller - she could actually see the future. Quasi has inherited this ability, which is why the gargoyles (as they exist in his head) are able to be so anachronistic.
132
133[[WMG: The gargoyles are figments of Quasi's imagination.]]
134It's never stated in the film, but no one except Quasi ever interacts with them or see's them as anything except stone. He was so lonely he made imaginary friends out of three random gargoyle statues inside the bell tower, and moved them around with him. This was made more obvious in the German stage adaptation.
135** That doesn't explain how Hugo can interact with Djali.
136*** Maybe Quasi imagined this too, to help convince himself the gargoyles were real? Or because he thought it was funny.
137
138[[WMG: Quasi's mother was a prostitute.]]
139Throughout history, prostitution has been the go-to job for incredibly poor and/or marginalized women, so it would make sense that a lot of Gypsy women in medieval Europe would have resorted to selling their bodies. This would explain why Quasimodo is seemingly Caucasian - his father was one of her white clients. It might also explain his deformities - they could have been caused by his mother having syphilis.
140* Then the younger man ''with'' her may not have been his ''dad'' , but rather his ''uncle''.
141* As mentioned above, the father could have been ''Frollo'' himself.
142
143[[WMG: The gypsy at the beginning that introduces Frollo is a younger Clopin.]]
144* It would certainly explain Clopin's hatred of Frollo, and how he already knows about Quasi's (supposedly) adoptive mother.
145** Being ''slender'', Clopin doesn't ''resemble'' the other Gyspy man, and if he ''were'', that would make him Quasi's ''father'' who likely ''died'' in a dungeon or was ''executed''. Plus, Clopin and Quasi appear to be about the same ''age''.
146
147[[WMG: VideoGame/TheBardsTale is a story Frollo read to Quasi when he was younger.]]
148Considering how Frollo and TheNarrator have the [[Creator/TonyJay same voice actor]], it's not a big leap.
149
150[[WMG: Belle was seen in ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' because she was READING ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame''.]]
151Belle loves to read, and she has a very vivid imagination. And she lives in the world of Disney, where magical things just happen. Things like a person literally getting "sucked into" a really good book. Belle is in her small French countryside town in her own time period of the 1700s, but as she reads ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', she is magically transported to Medieval Paris, as her imagination takes flight. She'll walk back into her own time and place soon enough, wondering where the time went.
152* Interesting theory but ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' was written in 1831 so how could Belle be reading it in the 1700s? Unless Disney has a different timeline than we do.
153* The film is actually set in 1482 (at least according to Wikipedia)
154
155[[WMG: Frollo suspects and fears magic because of ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''.]]
156Belle cameos in the film, so supposedly both movies at least happened. In her own movie a witch casts a terrible spell on someone which comes very close to ruining their life. Word spread around France, made its way to Frollo and then this movie happened.
157
158[[WMG: Frollo was sexually harassed (or worse) by a member of the clergy.]]
159Maybe it was a priest, who convinced him that the harassment was a way to "purify" himself. When it became clear that this was not the case, Frollo became afraid of any sort of sexual activity.
160
161[[WMG: The gargoyles are some combination of:]]
162
163** Manifestations of the traits Quasimodo actually has, but doesn't ''think'' he has because Frollo has convinced him he's an ignorant monster. Laverne is kindness and compassion, plus the potential to be a DeadpanSnarker. Victor is intelligence and class. Hugo is humor and sanguine traits.
164** A way for Quasimodo to experience and imagine the world. Whether or not the gargoyles are actually sentient, they do help Quasi expand his universe. Through Victor, he explores stuff like literature, history, and metaphors. Through Hugo, he imagines what pop culture will be like in hundreds of years and learns to have fun with himself and others. Through Laverne, he learns to look within, find his real feelings (i.e., he doesn't see Frollo as benevolent at all) and express them.
165** Sentient and clairvoyant beings who only interact with the pure in heart such as Quasi or Esmeralda.
166** Quasi's Id (Hugo) Ego (Laverne) and Super-Ego (Victor).
167
168[[WMG: Quasimodo's mother committed incest.]]
169
170Which is why Quasimodo was deformed as a newborn. Since neither abortion was an option and condoms didn't exist yet, they couldn't prevent her pregnancy, and thus she was forced to live the consequences of her sins and give birth to him, despite his genetic defects. [[GoodParents She did love him]], however.
171
172[[WMG: Esmeralda's adopted movie is Quasimodo's natural mother.]]
173
174Regarding the original novel, the gypsy who raised Esmeralda was Quasimodo's natural [[MissingMom mother]]. We know that Quasimodo and Esmeralda were swapped as infants meaning that Quasi was born to the gypsies. An interesting thing to remember is that the gypsy who raised Esmeralda not only told her that she wasn't her real mother but also gave her an emerald necklace to help her find her real mother! This seems to imply that on some level she regretted her actions and probably not out of sympathy for [[spoiler: Gudule.]] who was ([[JerkassWoobie very understandably]]) quite hateful to the gypsies, but perhaps because this unnamed gypsy was thinking about the child she [[ParentalAbandonment abandoned]]...
175
176[[WMG: Quasimodo is an ancestor of Wreck-it Ralph.]]
177
178Both are redheads, or at least have auburn hair. Both are strong and may not [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength know their own strength]] (Quasimodo breaks through iron chains; Wreck-it Ralph, of course, wrecks everything whether he wants to or not). Both are considered societal outcasts. Also, during one scene where Ralph demands Vanellope return his medal, he uses the French phrase ''tout de suite.'' Coincidence? May-beeeee.....
179** Um...you do know that Wreck-It Ralph is a VIDEO GAME CHARACTER, right?
180** Well, this ''is'' Disney we're talking about. And maybe the creators of the game based Ralph on some guy in their lives. Who really knows?
181** It might also be that the creators of the game have taken inspiration from Quasi to create Ralph instead. There are other videogames inspired by literature, anyway...
182
183[[WMG: Sarousch is really Frollo's brother Jehan]]
184* But...Frollo is white...and Sarousch is Romani...
185
186[[WMG: Madellaine took part in the world's oldest profession or was at least punished for possibly doing so.]]
187* If a woman in those days had a pixie cut, it wasn't because it looked cute. It was a punishment for harlotry. Prostitution was often overlooked as a necessary evil, but if her john turned out to be married, especially to someone high ranking, she could be the one taking the fall. Considering how faulty courts wore, she may have been innocent of any crime, but punished anyway.
188** It could be she's also a victim of trafficking, as most prostitutes are. Sharousch seems to literally own her, and I doubt he's using her solely for labor. He has to keep quiet about it, because under French law, Madellaine should've been free the moment she set foot in France. Slavery was outlawed there in the 13th century. Not to mention the law in their day would've come down a lot harder on a Rom owning a white woman than it would've had their ethnicities been reversed.
189
190[[WMG: Quasimodo is superhuman.]]
191He has superhuman strength (able to easily lift a full grown man with one hand, throw a stone with enough weight to destroy a chariot of metal, and break free from heavy chains) and agility (able to make massive jumps and climb the steep structures of the cathedral).
192
193[[WMG: Clopin has synesthesia.]]
194I don't have a lot of evidence for this, but he describes the bells as having many colors of sound, he could just be trying to be descriptive, or he's describing how he experiences the tolling of the bells.
195
196[[WMG: Zephyr is Phoebus' son from a previous marriage]]
197If Esmeralda really was his biological mother, you'd think he would've inherited at least ''some'' traits from her, but he didn't. However, it's not very difficult to imagine that Phoebus earlier had another wife (maybe a [[AdaptationalNiceGuy more likeable version]] of Fleur-de-Lys from the book?) who died after Zephyr was born but before the events of the first movie. Maybe Phoebus fell for Esmeralda partly because she reminded him of his late wife?
198
199[[WMG: Quasimodo is bisexual]]
200assuming the gargoyles are figments of his imagination, then Hugo being interested in a male goat may give insight into Quasi's view on guys being into guys, e.g., he considers it normal, considering the time period, and who he was raised by, this is kinda odd, but seeing as Frollo seems to be heterosexual, he may not have touched on same sex relationships, leaving Quasimodo to come to his own conclusion based on his own (albeit limited) experiences.
201
202[[WMG: Claude Frollo is [[Literature/{{Carrie}} Margaret White's]] ancestor.]]
203* They are both [[KnightTemplar evil]] [[TheFundamentalist religious fanatics]] who treat their children horribly (even if Quasimodo is "adopted") and think everyone but them is going to Hell.
204
205[[WMG: Frollo isn't actually that old--Quasimodo just sees him that way, and the movie is from Quasi's perspective]]
206Frollo is animated as an old man. He appears to be in his 60s, maybe even 70s. But in reality, he's quite a bit younger, probably only in his thirties or forties, ''maybe'' fifties. He is quite active in the movie for an older man. He does a lot of hard horseback riding, is evidently a powerful and capable swordsman, and in the climax does quite a bit of running about without seeming to get winded at all. Also, it seems quite unbelievable that a man in his sixth or so decade of life would have never experienced intense lust before--and would be so disturbed and discomfited by the emotion that it drives him to do everything Frollo does in the movie. It would be a bit more believable, though still a bit of a stretch, if he was, say thirty-five. Finally, in the final battle at the end, when he tosses the archdeacon aside he refers to him as an 'old fool.' It's hardly impossible for one old man to call another an 'old fool,' but it would make even more sense if he said that because the archdeacon ''was'' old, and he was not.
207He appears old to us because he is Quasimodo's master, in a clear position of authority over him, so Quasi (who is of course, even younger, twenty or so) perceives him as a stern old man, even though really, he isn't.
208* Frollo calling someone else an "old fool" makes sense even if he is old, remember one of the man's defining traits is hypocrisy.
209
210[[WMG: Frollo went to [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Cocytus]] when he died]]
211* It's the [[CirclesOfHell Circle Of Hell]] for treason, which is considered the [[TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil worst kind of sin,]] and Frollo commits several acts that would count as treasonous (burning down half of Paris, mistreating Quasimodo despite swearing an oath to protect and raise him, flagrantly violating the SeekingSanctuary rule in the Cathedral). Although he at least [[EvilIsDeathlyCold won't have to worry about HellFIRE there.]]
212
213[[WMG: The little girl who approaches Quasi at the end is the Virgin Mary herself.]]
214* According to legend, when Mary was a small child her parents took her to the Temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to God. Artistic depictions of this event show her climbing the Temple's steps in a way that [[https://www.tektonministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Presentation-of-the-Blessed-Virgin-Mary.jpg closely resembles]] the [[https://static.cinemagia.ro/img/db/movie/00/01/64/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-605350l.jpg scene in the movie]]. Throughout the film, Mary -- as embodied by the cathedral named for her -- has functioned as a strong defender, a MamaBear figure. But after Frollo's evil is defeated, perhaps she chooses to bless the good characters with a quieter, more vulnerable aspect of herself.
215
216[[WMG: Frollo already knew he's going to die and go to Hell.]]
217Even if he did [[TheBadGuyWins win]], the King and the Church (the ultimate authority in Medieval times), when he returns, will find out about all his countless crimes, including indiscriminate killing of innocent French citizens (mass murder/genocide), taking over the capital of France and burning it to the ground (arson/pillaging/treason), violating sanctuary multiple times, and even trying to destroy Notre Dame while claiming to be a Christian (the ultimate Medieval crime itself, Heresy). In absolute fury they will have him executed, and Frollo, as the Minister of Justice and a deeply legalistic and religious man, knows full well the consequences of his atrocities (the Hellfire sequence shows he's completely self-aware of this). This is why he's so desperate to have Esmeralda and had absolutely nothing to lose in his pursuit of her; it is his only chance of experiencing pleasure in his life before his inevitable demise. Trying to kill Esmeralda can even be a case of SeeYouInHell; [[IfICantHaveYou if he can't have her in this world, he will have her in the next]].
218* If he gets convicted and burned for heresy, it would be another ironic LaserGuidedKarma like in the movie. Hellfire will ALWAYS get him one way or the other.
219
220[[WMG: Frollo has Dementia.]]
221Can apply to both the book Frollo and the movie Frollo. Initially he's calm, logical and intelligent, though rather serious in his faith (book Frollo's intellectualism, movie Frollo's passion for justice). However as the years pass and he becomes older, he's showing signs of disturbance, irrationality, paranoia, persecutory delusions and impulsive bahaviour - and it mutated to the point that he's manifesting psychosomatic illnesses, psychosis, mania, delirium and hallucinations (book Frollo's massive fever and self-harming, the Hellfire sequence in the movie). By the end he's completely [[VillainousBreakdown brain damaged]], taking a severe toll on his health (book Frollo LaughingMad, movie Frollo going FinalSolution and having bloodshot/yellowish eyes). It's rather unfortunate that his deteriorating mental health coincided with his love/lust for Esmeralda, but either way, he was a ticking time bomb anyway, and she was just the excuse. He was ''doomed from the start''.
222* If one would believe the above guesses about Quasimodo being his biological son[=/=]him secretly soliciting Gypsy lovers[=/=]prostitutes, it's entirely possible that it isn't just dementia: he has ''syphilis''. No wonder he hates sex and Gypsies so much; he's somewhat aware he's ill but he blames them for it (instead of his own lust), and in the end, due to neurosyphilitic psychosis, he even forgot why he wants to kill them all in the first place.
223
224[[WMG: The man in the boat with Quasi's mother is his uncle, not his father.]]
225The way he said, "Shut it up, will you?" demonstrates disinterest in the kid. It's clearly not his. But he's still escorting the woman and her child into Paris at great personal risk, and he tries to shield her when Frollo shows up. So he's clearly family.
226
227[[WMG: Quasimodo has Treacher Collins syndrome.]]
228TCS does not affect the patient's intelligence, and it ranges from very mild to so severe immediate surgery is required after birth just to assure the infant can breathe. Quasi clearly has a mild to moderate form of it. It is unrelated to his kyphoscoliosis.
229
230[[WMG: Clopin is some kind of supernatural being e.g. a member of TheFairFolk or TricksterGod in human form.]]
231
232Clopin's seemingly cartoonish ability to appear everywhere at once, know of events he wasn't apparently present for, his impressive feats of acrobatics, and being able to change costumes rapidly on a whim are just genuinely how he is in-universe because he's a magical being of some kind who turned up in Paris one day and decided to stick around.
233
234He ended up becoming the leader of the Roma community on a whim or out of opportunity, perhaps because living with them was preferable to him compared to the oppressive rules of Frollo and the rest of the Parisian humans' society, or he became an outcast due to his eccentricity and magical abilities putting him in Frollo's sights (or both) and decided he might as well stay around the rest of the rejected populations of Paris who wouldn't reject him and his wackiness. And because he was so crafty and managed to evade Frollo for so long the Romanis just accepted his guidance or even made a deal so he'd help lead and protect them. The Court of Miracles might have been created by him or at least is under his protection as a domain of sorts.
235
236His AmbiguouslyEvil nature is simply BlueAndOrangeMorality as for most the part he's playful, harmless and perhaps a bit of a troll like during the Feast of Fools because he's honestly just there to have fun and do his thing among humans, maybe even bask a bit in their 'worship' from their appreciation for his entertainment skills. His actions in the Court of Miracles meanwhile are him protecting his territory and charges from perceived uninvited guests and potential threats, and he doesn't share the same human values about morality or legality when it comes to killing people for trivial reasons - but he also backs down easily for an equally trivial reason like Esmerelda telling him his would-be victims were invited in by her, because those are the kinds of weird rules he abides to. As for why he got caught with the others instead of using his powers to escape or fight back, he either: a) didn't want to blow his cover in front of Frollo, who'd ''definitely'' react poorly to an actual magical being and probably retaliate with truly lethal force upon the other inhabitants of the Court instead of just arresting them; b) by total chance the ropes/chains/iron cages used by Frollo are [[WeaksauceWeakness that one thing]] that can keep him contained; or c) he is simply not powerful enough to take on an army of soldiers alone.
237
238Also his puppet is genuinely alive. Notice that while he moves his mouth in front of the children in the opening to make it look like he's just doing amateur ventriloquy, in 'The Court of Miracles' when his puppet objects Clopin's own lips don't move. It's basically something like a familiar he made out of an inanimate toy and serves as a little helper, perhaps even acting like his 'conscience' if its objections and his frustrated responses at said objections during the aforementioned song are genuine.
239
240[[WMG: Frollo is so much eviler because Jehan Frollo doesn't exist in the Disney universe.]]
241Frollo's AdaptationalVillainy and Jehan Frollo's character being AdaptedOut are actually related relevant points to his characterisation: The Disney universe is an alternate universe where Jehan Frollo was either never born or died young. As a result Claude Frollo never grew up with a younger sibling to be responsible for and therefore never learnt to care about anyone else but himself, becoming a bitter and ruthless man as he grew older. He may still have been a foundling raised in Notre Dame, hence his religiousness, but instead of settling for Archdeacon his ambitions drew him towards the post of the Minister of Justice instead because he sought power and control over piousness. It might also explain why he has such a connection to the cathedral in spite of his role as a judge, why he immediately thought to leave the orphaned Quasimodo at the cathedral (just as he had been), and why he still kind of listens to the Archdeacon (as the Archdeacon might very well have either helped raise Frollo or was at least around while he was living in Notre Dame himself, so part of Frollo still respects him at least until the final act).
242
243[[/folder]]
244
245[[folder: Settings]]
246[[WMG: The Cathedral of Notre Dame is alive, and has supernatural powers to give people what they want/enable them.]]
247* This is why the statues look so angry in the beginning when Frollo accidentally kills Quasimodo's mother, the cathedral doesn't approve of murder on its grounds. The Archdeacon, who presumably knows of this, guilts Frollo into adopting the baby and raising him within the cathedral.
248** In the Hellfire sequence, the Cathedral gives Frollo what he wants: to see Esmeralda (in the fire).
249*** Except Frollo's inside the Palace of Justice during the Hellfire scene... :/
250*** But he was ''looking out at Notre Dame''. You don't have to be in the Cathedral for it to grant your wishes.
251** And at the end, The reason Frollo fell to his death was because he inadvertently damaged the Cathedral in trying to kill Quasi and Esmeralda. The Cathedral does not approve of murder.
252* Quasimodo becomes the bell ringer of the Cathedral, and in return, the Cathedral gives him what he wants: friends to keep him company (the gargoyles).
253* When the Cathedral is attacked, it defends itself with molten metal.
254* Given his tempting fate line I'm going with be careful what you wish for with Frollo's death.
255*** Hmm, consider that Victor Hugo's original title was apparently ''Notre Dame de Paris''...he treated the cathedral itself as the main character. It gives some credence to the "supernatural powers" idea.
256* The film makers ''have'' stated before that they treated the cathedral as a character itself ...
257
258[[WMG: ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', while later in the actual Disney canon, takes place before ''Beauty and the Beast.'']]
259
260Belle can be seen in the background of one of the Paris square scenes. The theory is that she and her family lived in Paris before her mother died and moved to the ''Beauty and the Beast'' village afterward. Or, Belle and Maurice fled Paris to escape Frollo's persecution because he considered them both evil and crazy. (Belle because she reads too much and might start ''thinking'' about how oppressive Frollo's belief system is, and Maurice because he invents dangerous things and might be participating in ''witchcraft.'')
261** though Disney has never allowed itself to be constrained by historical accuracy, Hunchback is clearly meant to be roughly situated in the medieval or very early modern period, while BatB should be a couple centuries later--Gaston's
262
263[[WMG: The sequel is a story Clopin made up.]]
264After finishing his story, the children he was telling it to wanted more from him, and he decided to tell them another story. But since Clopin had no real life events to base it off of, or less time to write the story (depending on if you think the film's events are real in-universe or a story Clopin wrote, take your pick), it's nowhere near as good as the original. The kids wanted the story less dark, so Clopin made it lighter and softer. They were also upset that Quasimodo didn't get the girl in the end, hence why he's StrangledByTheRedString in the second film. It would also explain why Sarousch is so one-note, and also some of the more ridiculous aspects of the film (like how logic-defying La Fidèle is).
265** At this point, the whole city was also still celebrating the defeat of Frollo, so Clopin was having more than a bit of wine while he fabricated this sequel-tale.
266
267[[WMG: The Notre Dame fire damage of April 15, 2019 [[AlternateUniverse never]] [[AlternateHistory happened]] in this universe.]]
268
269
270[[WMG: Esmerelda was kidnapped by her father]]
271Since even in the novel she's AmbiguouslyBrown she probably has a Gypsy father; she was taken not by an evil Gypsy who liked to steal babies but rather her father, explaining why she was treated so well.
272* Given her mother was a prostitute, it could be that her father knew she would end up being sold for sex as young as three years old, so he took her to save her.
273
274[[WMG: Clopin stole one of Frollo's hats.]]
275He probably wouldn't have gotten close enough to the judge for long enough to make a copy of that hat from scratch. It would've been easier to just swipe the hat. And more fun. He then proceeded to use the hat as a reference for his Frollo puppet. And wear it occasionally while trolling intruders.
276
277[[/folder]]
278
279[[folder: Meta]]
280
281[[WMG: The (well, [[ShoutOut one]]) reason the this gargoyle is named Laverne, despite two thirds of them being named after author '''Victor'''-Marie '''Hugo'''...]]
282...is that "Marie" was already taken by ''Notre Dame'', or at least her namesake/spiritual sponsor[[note]] The Virgin Mary[[/note]] who was shown to be personified in statues ''all over'' the cathedral (or at least the rectory/offices).
283* Another reason: weren't all the bells named Marie too?
284
285[[WMG: Why the chorus interrupts Clopin at the end of The Bells of Notre Dame]]
286At the end of the song, Clopin holds an absurdly high note for an absurdly long time, but he gets drowned out by the chorus. The note was played uninterrupted in a test screening of the film, but it was so awesome, [[YourHeadAsplode the audience's heads exploded!]]
287
288[[WMG: What did the F really stand for?]]
289Knowing Frollo, it probably wasn't anything nice like "fraternity" or "forgiveness" or "faith" or "felicity". List guesses here.
290* Fire and Brimstone (too obvious?)
291* Falsehood
292* Fornication (a little adult, but they are throwing around words like "Hell" and "Damnation".
293* [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Forever Eternal]] Damnation
294* Falibility
295* Forbidden Fruit
296* Feculence
297* Flagellation
298* Frollo
299While we're at it, what would the rest of the alphabet have looked like as taught by Frollo?
300G = Gluttony. H = Harlotry. I = Idolatry. J = Jealousy. K = Knavery. (It was the Middle Ages!) L = Lust. M = Malfeasance. N = Neglect.
301O = Obstinance. P = Pride. Q = Quarrelsome. R = Reprobate. S = Sorrow. T = Transgression. U = Ugliness. V = Villainy. W = Wrath. X = OK, I give up.
302** Unless it was Quasimodo's mistake, in the film after he realizes he said festival for "F" Quasi raises up and exclaims "Forgiveness!" as Frollo starts to leave. Knowing other instances where forgiveness seems to matter (even to Disney's Frollo) it might have been the right word.
303*** More list guess ideas: In the Disney musical play, stories about the saints are important, and their names might be included. S might also ironically equal Sanctuary.
304
305[[WMG: The WebVideo/AngryGermanKid caused the April 15, 2019 Notre Dame fire.]]
306* [[https://youtu.be/FxDYiJrKI8o Pro]][[https://youtu.be/w9oPo4QEt1k of]].
307
308[[WMG: The Feast of Fools is a proto furry convention]]
309* (Note: being a furry does NOT NECESSARILY have A SINGLE THING to do with sex! Educate yourself on us [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom here]]) Earlier in the decade in which Hunchback came out, not only did furries start to get (largely inaccurate and stigmatizing) media attention and were discovered by the general public for the first time, but Disney also just so happened to release one of the movies that is most PopularWithFurries, WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994. And in the Feast of Fools itself, not only are there people who dress up as animals (though please note that statistically speaking, despite being one of the first things that the word "furry" conjures up in the public imagination, barely any of us wear fursuits because they're SO EXPENSIVE!), and even a shot of LITERALLY UPRIGHT-WALKING DOGS, there's also the whole reason why people go to the festival: because it allows them the freedom to fully express themselves, including traits that would be looked down upon in every other setting, which just so happens to be one of the main things that draws people to our fandom as well! Additionally, there's also... okay, my sex-repulsed UsefulNotes/{{Asexuality}} is really going to get in the way of discussing this next part objectively, BUT it's still an important piece of evidence. Esmeralda is shown to be extremely arousing and/or sexually attractive (yes, those are actually 2 different things that just stem from the same stimuli; some individuals, especially asexuals, can experience none or only one and not the other) to EVERYONE at the festival, seemingly EVEN someone as innocent, wholesome, and naive as Quasimodo! This is where [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/profile.php I]] have the bring up one of the things I HATE most about our fandom: Main/{{Yiff}}, or in layman's terms, furry pornography. I HATE IT SO MUCH, but that's besides the point. Anyways, sex, yiff, etc. play a disgustingly large role in the Furry Fandom (although there's still SO MUCH I LOVE ABOUT US that I can overlook that!), and although it's much less prevalent in the actual conventions, it's still an EXTREMELY notable similarity that strengthens my comparison! Frollo is also a heavily anti-woke person who looks down upon the festival and all those (except himself, of course) who attend it, and despite the highly unfortunate presence of occasional anti-woke furries in real-life, the majority of anti-woke people who know about our community HATE us!
310
311[[/folder]]
312
313[[folder: Crossovers]]
314[[WMG: This movie is an Elseworld version of Disney's Gargoyles]]
315With a similar artstyle, same DarkerAndEdgier tone, and similar characters, the show is an alternate continuity of Gargoyles.
316* Frollo is a cross between Demona and Xanatos. He treats Gypsies the same way Demona treats humans.
317* Phoebus is Goliath.
318* Quasimodo is the lancer to Phoebus, much like Brooklyn is to Goliath.
319* Esmeralda is Elisa Maza. They're both the {{Action Girl}}s, and both are the love interest of TheHero.
320
321[[WMG: This movie happened shortly after Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast']]
322People have been wondering for ages where the heck the King of France was while a mere Minister of Justice who isn't even noble was burning down Paris on a whim, which ''is'' a pretty big plot hole. However, remembering Belle's cameo[[note]]And I know the creators have deemed it non-canonical, but I'm just having a bit of fun here.[[/note]], we could conclude this takes place in the same universe as ''Beauty and the Beast'', and, assuming we throw all notions of real history out the window, then this all becomes clear. And also solves another big plot hole, one from ''Beauty and the Beast'': how the heck nobody took ''notice'' of the fact that, you know, the freaking Heir to the Crown had vanished. Judging from the Beast's assumed age, his father (or grandfather) the ruling King was probably pretty old when the curse was cast. As soon as said old King died, the country would have probably succumbed to a troubled political regency at best and a civil war at worst (that may, in fact, be the war Phoebus was fighting prior to the events of the film). In such a period, any relatively important guy in command of an army could seize control of a town with relative impunity, especially if he was already a high-ranking member of government before the crash, and even moreso if he has ties to the Church. Guess who fits that bill to a T? Judge Claude Frollo, the devout Minister of Justice.
323* For bonus points, if this goes on long enough, France would probably end up split apart into several mini-countries ruled by noblemen-turned-Kings. This could be where the early-19th-century ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'', with its apparently-French small kingdom, comes in.
324
325[[WMG: The Gargoyles are made from stones from Bald Mountain.]]
326Hence, why they can come to life.
327
328[[WMG: Frollo is a [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Firebender.]]]]
329Think about it. He seems to be able to manipulate the flames in his fireplace into various shapes during the Hellfire sequence, and he loves burning down houses. He probably had a fire nation ancestor somewhere.
330* Since he had no teacher, he is neither in control nor even fully aware of his ability, though.
331** And, considering the upbringing he's had… maybe that's part of why he's so self-righteously religious: he might have received abuse similar to what he inflicted on Quasimodo [[BadPowersGoodPeople for his demonic ability to control fire]].
332
333[[WMG: The Gargoyles are actually the Paris Clan from the other Disney show with WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}.]]
334They use magic to keep the {{muggles}} from seeing them. Quasimodo has Fae blood, which is how he is able to see and hear them (though he's mostly human, which is why they still look like the statues on the facade.)
335
336[[WMG: The Gargoyles are actually [[Series/DoctorWho Weeping Angels.]]]]
337They move when you aren't looking!
338** Nah, that can't be it. Although, Laverne does look quite a bit like Bok from "The Daemons."
339
340[[WMG: Quasimodo is an [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Assassin]].]]
341Come on, he obviously has the acrobatic abilities of one. Of course, he doesn't know it. Frollo is probably a Templar.
342* I'll one-up you: ALL of the Gypsies are Assassins: Esmeralda and Quasimodo's mother at least seem to be pretty good at escaping from the local guards; Quasimodo's own [[LeParkour parkour]] could be the result of genetic memory, with the abilities themselves coming naturally given his bell tower home. Frollo isn't trying to exterminate the local Roma because he's a racist, it's because he's a Templar, which would also at least to some degree justify his very un-Christian behavior (even though other Templars like Sibrand, Borgia, and Robert de Sable were straight-up atheists; maybe Frollo is a late enroll-ee to the Order and is too set in his ways to completely give up his beliefs). Quasimodo, of course, never knows any of this because he was never told about the Assassin-Templar conspiracy and, except for the genetic memory parkour, doesn't have any Assassin skills as well as knowing nothing of the Creed.
343** Incidentally, Ezio would be alive and active during the events of the film.
344
345[[WMG: Frollo becomes a [[ComicBook/{{Spawn}} Hellspawn]].]]
346
347[[WMG: Frollo becomes a [[Series/{{Supernatural}} higher-ranking demon]].]]
348
349
350[[/folder]]
351

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