Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

Usually, we like characters who do good things, and we don't like characters who do bad things. But that doesn't mean that characters can't switch around and go from good to bad—and vice-versa—whenever they please.

In this novel, Frollo does all kinds of bad things—he kidnaps Esmeralda, tries to rape her, has her killed, and commits almost every type of villainy there is—but two of the first things we learn about him are that he seriously loves his brother Jehan and that he adopted Quasimodo out of compassion. So, is he good or bad? Something in between?

Or how about Phœbus, who valiantly rescuing Esmeralda, only to try to seduce her later? Is this thoughtless lady-killer good or bad? Do we like him or loathe him?

Hey, at least all this switching up makes for some interesting, complex characters.

Names

This novel goes a little crazy with its characters' names. Almost everyone's name says something about who they are: La Esmeralda is Spanish for "the emerald," and she's like an exotic gem; Phœbus is another name for Apollo, the Greek and Roman sun god, and he is has a shiny, handsome exterior; Quasimodo essentially means "partly made" because, as the narrative says, he is "only a quasi person" (IV.II.16). You might want to brush up on your Latin for this one.

Occupation

Most characters in this novel can described by means of their occupations: Gringoire is a poet who uses a whole lot of words to say pretty much nothing; Esmeralda is the gypsy who is both exotic and feared; Frollo is a churchman with some serious issues; and so on.

A character's occupation may not tell us whether a he or she is good or bad, but it does tell us something about that character's personality. For instance, Phœbus is the swarthy, crude, good-looking type, as one might expect a soldier to be, while Frollo is a priest embittered by his vows of chastity. Talk about a job description.

Physical Appearances

To say that appearances matter in this novel is putting it mildly; we talk about that all over the place in our "Themes" section. The sheer magnitude of Quasimodo's ugliness should be the thing that really tips you off. You don't make a character who is totally, objectively unattractive unless it somehow matters to your novel. On that same note, you don't create a character as totally, objectively beautiful as Esmeralda, either, unless you have a reason to do it. You see where we're going with this?

Pay attention to every description of a character's physical appearance, because this novel is all about the distinction between inner and outer beauty—and about how love hinges on your understanding of what beauty is.

Sex and Love

This novel's got some issues with sex. It's not that sex is bad is The Hunchback of Notre-Dame; it's just the characters go about it badly, and that says something about the kinds of characters they are.

Frollo, for instance, can't handle his desire for sex and love at all, and it leads him to become obsessive and sadistic. Phœbus, on the other hand, has a very flippant attitude towards love and sex, but he's basically a jerk who makes others—and eventually himself—miserable. Esmeralda, for her part, has the naïve notion that love is this perfect, pure, magical thing, and so she avoids sex until she's found it—or at least thinks she's found it (she's totally wrong).

Good luck finding a healthy relationship in this novel.