This is the story of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, and his tragic love for Esmeralda, the beautiful gypsy woman. It is a tale of love doomed by injustice and hypocrisy.
Quasimodo, watching the world from the spires of Notre-Dame, has fallen in love with Esmeralda, who sings and dances in the square in front of the great cathedral. But Esmeralda loves Phoebus, the handsome captain of the King’s cavalry. Phoebus is engaged to Fleur-de-Lys, a young wealthy socialite, but is soon captivated by the exotic sensuality of the gypsy girl.
Adding to this complicated emotional web is the lust Esmeralda inspires in the priest, Frollo. It is Frollo who enslaved Quasimodo and kept him in the cathedral. The priest’s repressed carnal desires and jealousy lead him to stab Phoebus in order to get rid of his rival.
Esmeralda herself is falsely accused of the attempted murder and flung in jail. Frollo takes advantage of Esmeralda’s plight and offers her freedom in return for sexual favours. She refuses and, enraged, he plots his revenge.
Quasimodo frees Esmeralda and hides her in his realm, the belfry of Notre-Dame. But Clopin, the leader of the refugees, and his people, misunderstand Quasimodo’s intentions and storm the cathedral to save the gypsy dancer. In the chaos, Phoebus and his soldiers intervene to quell the riot and Clopin is killed.
Thinking that the captain will save Esmeralda, Quasimodo allows Frollo to hand his love over to Phoebus. But, in fact, Phoebus has every intention of seeing Esmeralda hang. In his rage, Quasimodo throws Frollo from the Belfry and sets out to save Esmeralda once again. He is too late. Consumed with grief, the hunchback takes Esmeralda to Paris’ mass grave, where he dies at her side.