Keyword Guide · character-analysis
Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame features a wide cast of characters who represent power, justice, beauty, and exclusion. Knowing who these characters are—and what they symbolize—helps students understand the novel’s themes and conflicts.
Quasimodo is the bell-ringer of Notre-Dame, known for his physical deformity and emotional sensitivity. Esmeralda is a young Romani dancer admired for her beauty and kindness. Claude Frollo is the archdeacon of Notre-Dame, whose inner struggles drive much of the plot. Phoebus de Châteaupers is a soldier whose charm and selfishness affect several characters’ fates.
Gringoire is a poet and philosopher who often represents reason and survival. Fleur-de-Lys is Phoebus’s fiancée and reflects social privilege and jealousy. Paquette la Chantefleurie is a tragic figure connected to Esmeralda’s past. These characters deepen the novel’s emotional and social complexity.
Clopin Trouillefou leads the Truands, a group of Parisian outcasts. The Truands highlight the divide between official society and those living on its margins. Several minor church and city figures also appear, emphasizing the power structures of medieval Paris.
Create a character chart listing names, roles, motivations, and relationships. Focus on how each character represents a theme such as justice, obsession, or compassion. For essays, connect characters’ choices to the novel’s larger message about society and morality.
Quasimodo is often considered the main character because the story centers on his experiences and emotional growth.
Yes. Esmeralda’s kindness and innocence contrast with the cruelty she faces, making her a central tragic figure in the novel.
Claude Frollo drives the central conflict by representing obsession, misuse of authority, and moral failure.
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