20 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Quotes

Updated July 13, 2023 | Infoplease Staff

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo is a timeless tale that has captivated readers for centuries. The story is set in the late 15th century at the heart of Paris, where the majestic cathedral of Notre Dame stands tall, its gargoyle-studded bell towers casting shadows over the city. It tells the story of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his love for the beautiful dancer girl, Esmeralda.

But "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is more than just a love story. It is a work of art that explores the complexities of the human experience. The characters are vividly drawn, and the language is rich and evocative, transporting the reader to the streets of medieval Paris. And throughout the novel, there are several quotes that highlight the themes of passion, justice, isolation, and the power of fate.

20 Quotes from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

Among the many treasures to be found in this classic work are the following 20 quotes. Each one captures something essential and profound about the human condition, from the power of love to the dangers of obsession and ostracization. These quotes are sure to inspire, challenge, perplex, and delight readers of all ages and backgrounds, and remind us why "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" remains a literary masterpiece to this day.

1. "The greatest products of architecture are less the works of individuals than of society; rather the offspring of a nation's effort, than the inspired flash of a man of genius..."

   

2. "The saints were his friends, and blessed him; the monsters were his friends, and guarded him." — Quasimodo.

3. "I wanted to see you again, touch you, know who you were, see if I would find you identical with the ideal image of you which had remained with me and perhaps shatter my dream with the aid of reality." — Claude Frollo.

4. "You would have imagined her at one moment a maniac, at another a queen." — Esmeralda.

5. "Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. The inexplicable fact is that the blinder it is, the more tenacious it is. It is never stronger than when it is completely unreasonable."

6. "One drop of wine is enough to redden a whole glass of water." — Esmeralda.

7. "Nothing makes a man so adventurous as an empty pocket."

   

8. "SPIRA SPERA."

9. "Admirable, however, as the Paris of the present day appears to you, build up and put together again in imagination the Paris of the fifteenth century; look at the light through that surprising host of steeples, towers, and belfries; pour forth amid the immense city, break against the points of its islands, compress within the arches of the bridges, the current of the Seine, with its large patches of green and yellow, more changeable than a serpent's skin; define clearly the Gothic profile of this old Paris upon an horizon of azure, make its contour float in a wintry fog which clings to its innumerable chimneys; drown it in deep night, and observe the extraordinary play of darkness and light in this sombre labyrinth of buildings; throw into it a ray of moonlight, which shall show its faint outline and cause the huge heads of the towers to stand forth from amid the mist; or revert to that dark picture, touch up with shade the thousand acute angles of the spires and gables, and make them stand out, more jagged than a shark's jaw, upon the copper-coloured sky of evening. Now compare the two."

10. "If he had had all Peru in his pocket, he would certainly have given it to this dancer; but Gringoire had not Peru in his pocket; and besides, America was not yet discovered." — Quasimodo.

11. "Large, heavy, ragged black clouds hung like crape hammocks beneath the starry cope of the night. You would have said that they were the cobwebs of the firmament."

12. "If you know what my love for you is! It is fire; it is molten lead; it is a thousand daggers in my heart." — Claude Frollo.

13. "He left her. She was dissatisfied with him. He had preferred to incur her anger rather than cause her pain. He had kept all the pain for himself." — Quasimodo, Esmeralda.

    

14. "Why was I not made of stone like thee?" — Quasimodo.

15. "Mothers are often fondest of the child which has caused them the greatest pain."

16. "If you know what my love for you is! It is fire; it is molten lead; it is a thousand daggers in my heart." — Claude Frollo.

17. "At the moment when her eyes closed, when all feeling vanished in her, she thought that she felt a touch of fire imprinted on her lips, a kiss more burning than the red-hot iron of the executioner." — Esmeralda.

18. "When you get an idea into your head you find it in everything." — Claude Frollo.

    

19. "By making himself a priest made himself a demon." — Claude Frollo.

20. "The owl goes not into the nest of the lark."

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Quotes: Script or Screen?

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a classic novel, and since its publication in 1831, several adaptations of the story have been created for the big screen. This includes the 1996 Disney movie musical of the same name, starring Demi Moore, Tom Hulce, Kevin Kline, and Jason Alexander. And while this cartoon is based on the novel, there are several marked differences between the two — and not just when it comes to the quotations in each. ^[1]

The novel has a darker tone compared to the Disney version. The novel explores themes of social injustice, isolation, and the struggle for power. The Disney film, on the other hand, has a more uplifting tone and focuses on the themes of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Characterization Differences

The novel's characters are depicted in a more intricate and nuanced way, which can make them less immediately likable than their counterparts in the Disney film adaptation. ^[2] However, this complexity allows for a more in-depth exploration of their motivations and personal histories, giving readers a deeper understanding of their actions throughout the story. Take the following characters, for example.

• Esmeralda: In the novel, Esmeralda is depicted as a flirtatious and manipulative character, while in the Disney film, she is portrayed as kind and compassionate.
• Laverne, Clopin, and Archdeacon: The characters of Laverne, Clopin, and Archdeacon are not present in the novel, but are added in the Disney film to provide a more lighthearted tone.
• Captain Phoebus: In the novel, Phoebus is a villainous character who is manipulative and abusive towards Esmeralda. In the Disney film, he is portrayed as a heroic character who falls in love with Esmeralda.

Plot Differences

The novel and the Disney film have some notable differences in their respective plots. While the film follows a more linear storyline, the novel delves deeper into the internal struggles of the characters. In addition, the novel contains several subplots that are not present in the film.

For example, in the novel, the Court of Miracles is a place where outcasts and criminals gather. But in the Disney film, it is portrayed as a magical place where the outcasts are "children of God." The ending of the novel is also much darker than the Disney movie. In the novel, Quasimodo dies of starvation and Esmeralda is executed, while in the Disney adaptation, they both survive and live happily ever after.

So, overall, while the Disney film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel, it is important to note that the two are quite different in terms of tone, characterization, and plot.

Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti et Beatae Mariae Semper Virgini

These 20 quotes from Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" are a testament to the power of literature to capture the essence of the human experience. From the beautiful to the tragic, they explore the depths of human emotion, thanks to the incredible mind of one of the world's most iconic authors. 

And if you are interested in more classic literary works, why not test your knowledge with our quiz on Shakespeare's Life and Times
or The Works of Edgar Allan Poe? Plus, challenge your geographic knowledge and see How Well Do You Know Paris?

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