During the middle ages, Clopin (Paul Kandel) is the leader of the Romani people residing in Paris and is exceedingly protective of their headquarters, the Court of Miracles. Clopin narrates the story of a mysterious bell-ringer to a group of children. A group of Roma immigrating to Paris are ambushed by Judge Claude Frollo (Tony Jay), Paris' Minister of Justice, and his soldiers. The Gypsies were persecuted in Paris, so the only way to enter the city without being arrested was to sneak in. These particular Gypsies consisted of two men, one woman, and her child. Frollo is the primary instigator of the persecution and oppression against the Gypsies in Paris, claiming that their ways will corrupt the other citizens. One woman attempts to flee with her baby, reaching the doors of Notre Dame pleading for sanctuary. Frollo chases her down and knocks her onto the cathedral's steps, where she fractures her skull and dies. Seeing her baby's deformed appearance, Frollo believes it to be a demon and tries drowning the child but is thwarted by the Archdeacon (David Ogden Stiers), who scolds Frollo for murdering an innocent woman. Though Frollo tried to justify his actions, deceiving himself, the Archdeacon reminded him that God, the angels, etc, are fully aware of what he had done. Afraid for his soul, Frollo reluctantly agrees to raise the child as his own, naming him "Quasimodo" (Tom Hulce) (meaning 'half-formed') and hiding him away in the cathedral's bell tower. Twenty years later, Quasimodo / Quasi has grown into a kind yet isolated young man, now with a pronounced hunchback caused by Kyphosis. He is also incredibly strong, due to years of ringing Notre Dame's heavy bells. He has lived his entire life in the cathedral with his only company being a trio of living stone gargoyles Victor (Charles Kimbrough), Hugo (Jason Alexander), and Laverne (Mary Wickes). The Gargoyles only come alive when Quasimodo is alone. The gargoyles encourage him to attend the annual Festival of Fools, despite Frollo's warnings that he would be shunned for his appearance. Frollo insists that the Festival of Fools is an affront to everything good, and that he himself only goes because of his duties as a public official. He lies to Quasi, reminding him how his Gypsy mother supposedly abandoned him as a baby, and Frollo was the only one who took him in. Frollo describes the world as far too harsh and cruel for someone like Quasimodo, and that the cathedral is his only sanctuary. Elsewhere in the city, a newly arrived man named Phoebus (along with his horse, Achilles) search in vain for the Palace of Justice. He comes across some performing Gypsies, including the beautiful dancer, Esmeralda. Some city guards come along on patrol. The other Gypsies manage to get away, but Esmeralda gets caught and harassed--accused of stealing the money given by passers-by for their performances. Before the guards can arrest them, Phoebus reveals himself to be the new Captain of the Guard and orders them to take him to the Palace of Justice. Esmeralda watches him from hiding, clearly interested in and intrigued by him. Frollo tasks Phoebus with the top priority of rooting out the Gypsies by finding and destroying their safe haven, which they call the Court of Miracles. Phoebus is a gallant war veteran summoned by Judge Claude Frollo to assist in the eradication of Paris' Romani community. Quasimodo attends the fair. Clopin announces the next item on the agenda, which is to crown the "King of Fools," an award to the one who can make the ugliest face in Paris. The contestants go up on stage wearing masks and then make a face when the mask is removed. Esmeralda innocently invites Quasimodo up on the stage to take part. After all the other contestants are booed, Esmeralda tries to take off Quasi's "mask." She is shocked and frightened when she discovers he wears no mask. Frollo hadn't noticed Quasi on the stage up to this point, but he is shocked and disappointed once he does. Quasi is celebrated for his appearance. He's given a jester's crown, as well as a robe and scepter. They begin chanting his name, and he celebrates along with them. But then, prompted by Frollo's guards who hit Quasi with a tomato, is humiliated by the crowd. Frollo refuses Quasimodo's pleas for help, but he is rescued by Esmeralda (Demi Moore), a kind Roma who stands up to Frollo for his tyranny. Intending to commit genocide against Roma people living in Paris, Frollo orders Esmeralda's arrest, but she escapes using a magic trick. Quasimodo retreats back into the cathedral, followed by Esmeralda and Captain Phoebus (Kevin Kline) of Frollo's guard. Frollo and several of his guards enter; he thanks Phoebus for finding her and orders him to arrest her. Esmeralda thinks Phoebus tricked her into staying in place for her to get caught. Phoebus refuses to arrest Esmeralda for witchcraft inside Notre Dame and instead tells Frollo that she has claimed asylum. Before Frollo can press the issue, the Archdeacon approaches and tells him to leave her be. He reminds Frollo in vague terms of the last time he violated the law of sanctuary, much to his anger. Frollo orders his guards to retreat, but posts sentries on all exits from the Cathedral observing that Esmeralda would have to come out sooner or later, and that's when he would arrest her. Esmeralda finds and befriends Quasimodo, who helps her escape Notre Dame out of gratitude for defending him. Esmeralda learns that Frollo raised him, and that he taught him misconceptions about Gypsies (that they were evil) and about himself personally, and that he calls himself a monster. To help him see otherwise, she takes his hand and gives him a palm reading, during which she declares she could find no "monster lines" on his palm. Quasi helps Esmeralda escape the Cathedral by climbing down from the Bell-Tower to an area where Frollo had not posted his guards, as there was no exit located there. She entrusts Quasimodo with a pendant containing a map to the Roma hideout called the Court of Miracles. Quasi is approached by Phoebus, who asks if he knows where Esmeralda was. Phoebus insists that he means her no harm. He tells Quasi that he's sorry he got her trapped in the cathedral, but that it was the only way to save her life. Quasi realizes that he had feelings for Esmeralda and has the hope that she reciprocates the same. Frollo develops an obsessive lust for Esmeralda and, upon realizing this, begs the Virgin Mary to save him from her "spell" and avoid eternal damnation. He blames everyone but himself for his feelings and sins. When Frollo discovers Esmeralda's escape, he searches for her, bribing and arresting Travelers/Roma and setting fire to houses while trying to find her. As Frollo orders more and more Gypsies to be arrested, Phoebus' disgust and indignation grows. They eventually arrive at a mill on the outskirts of Paris, where Esmeralda has followed them in disguise. Frollo bars the door from the outside, he orders Phoebus to burn the mill, saying that they are traitors and need to be made examples. Phoebus defies Frollo when ordered to burn down a house with a family inside. Fixed in his mind, Frollo lights the mill himself, which burns quickly. Phoebus jumps in through the window and kicks open the door from the inside, carrying the miller's infant and toddler, and leading him and his wife outside, just before the mill collapses. Frollo sentences him to death on the spot. Before he is beheaded, Esmeralda saves his life with a well-aimed sling throw that hits Frollo's horse, making it buck. Phoebus uses the distraction to floor the guards, and he escapes on the horse. However, before he can get clear of Frollo's archers, he is struck between his torso and shoulder armor by an arrow. Being on a bridge as it happened, he falls off the horse and into the water below. Esmeralda herself sneaks under the bridge, and when the others move a safe distance away, she dives into the river. She removes Phoebus' weighty armor and brings him to shore. Esmeralda enters the bell-tower seeking shelter for Phoebus. The gargoyles encourage Quasimodo to confess his feelings for Esmeralda. Esmeralda and Phoebus talk while Quasimodo watches and listens nearby. She disinfects his arrow-wound with wine and sews it shut, and he expresses his discomfort with witty remarks. She reveals her admiration at his bravery and compassion, saying he was lucky the arrow didn't pierce his heart. As they look into each other's eyes and see their mutual feelings, they kiss. They don't notice Quasimodo hiding his weeping face while his heart breaks. Realizing that Quasimodo helped Esmeralda escape, he angrily accuses Quasi of helping her escape. He blames him for the fires ravaging Paris. Quasi says that Esmeralda was kind to her. Frollo is livid and says that it wasn't kindness, but it was cunning. Gypsies aren't capable of real love. Frollo tells him he knows about the Court of Miracles and plans to attack it at dawn. Phoebus stands up, having heard the conversation, and says he's going to warn Esmeralda. When Quasi doesn't move, Phoebus says that Esmeralda stood up for him, and he has a funny way of showing his gratitude. Quasi introspects and decides that he wants to help Esmeralda. He holds out the pendant and tells Phoebus what Esmeralda said when she gave it to him. As Phoebus attempts to decipher it, Quasi realizes that it's a map. They reach a graveyard and find a tomb with a cross matching the one on the pendant. Phoebus checks for writing and clues, but Quasi simply pushes off the heavy stone covering--revealing stairs. It leads to the old catacombs of Paris, filled with skeletons and sewage. They don't notice several Gypsies disguised as skeletons watching them. They are soon ambushed by Clopin and about 20 Gypsies guarding the way. They arrive at the Court of Miracles, where they are nearly hanged. Fortunately, Esmeralda was able to stop that from happening, vouching for them. Frollo follows them and captures all the Roma present. Frollo callously tells Quasi that he always knew he would be of use to him someday. He tells Esmeralda that Quasi led them right to her; she calls him a liar. Phoebus and the Gypsies are forced to watch, being confined to thick metal cages. Frollo reads from a parchment, declaring Esmeralda's crime to be that of witchcraft, and that death is her punishment. A large crowd of Parisians protest, declaring her innocence, but they are held back by soldiers. The Archdeacon too is prevented from interfering. Frollo approaches Esmeralda under the guise of seeking a confession. However, he says to her quietly, "Even now it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me, or the fire." When Esmeralda again rejects Frollo's advances, he attempts to burn her at the stake at Place Du Parvis. Quasimodo stands trapped on the cathedral balcony, tied up with heavy chains between two pillars. The gargoyles feebly attempt to break one of the chains, but Quasi only hangs limply. Frollo had already won in his mind. When the gargoyles try to talk him out of this mindset, he curtly tells them to leave. As Frollo's judgment and sentencing echo up towards him, a fire lights within him. Indignant, Quasimodo pulls the chains taut with such force that the stone pillars crack; even the bells resonate, as if the cathedral itself were crying out at the injustice below. Quasimodo breaks the stone pillars to which he was tied. Quasimodo swoops down to rescue Esmeralda. As the guards move in to stop him, he rips the giant stake out with one arm and uses it to knock them off the platform with one swing. Taking the rope again, he holds Esmeralda over his shoulder as he swings back over the rest of the soldiers and climbs up the cathedral wall. Quasi carries her to the cathedral tower, crying "Sanctuary!" from the ledge. He then takes her to a nearby room, lays her carefully on the bed, and runs back out to prepare to defend the cathedral. When Frollo attempts to seize the cathedral, Phoebus releases the Roma and rallies the Paris citizens against Frollo's guards. The Gypsies are freed, and a battle ensues before the doors of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, both Quasimodo and the gargoyles employ various methods to keep the soldiers from climbing the walls. Quasimodo and the gargoyles pour molten lead onto the streets to prevent anyone entering, but Frollo himself manages to break into the cathedral beforehand. Violating the tradition of sanctuary, Frollo pursues Quasimodo and Esmeralda to the bell tower with the intent of killing them both. Quasi was tending to Esmeralda when Frollo attacks him from behind. He turns in time to grab Frollo's arm before it can reach him. Frollo attempts to calm him down, asking him to listen, but Quasi says that he has realized that the only darkness in the world is people like Frollo. Determined to finish the job, Frollo draws his sword, but Quasimodo takes her in his arms and runs out the door as fast as he can move. Frollo and Quasimodo fight, and Frollo reveals that Quasi's mother also died trying to save him. This was a shocking revelation for Quasi. Quasi is exhausted and loses consciousness and begins to fall, but Esmeralda regains consciousness and holds Quasi's hand to prevent him from falling. Frollo prepares to land the final blow on Esmeralda, but the gargoyle begins to break beneath his feet. He grabs hold underneath it as he falls, and from his perspective it appears to come alive, it's eyes and mouth glowing with heat and roaring at him with fury. He screams in fear and anguish as the gargoyle breaks off completely, and he falls to his death into the fiery lake of molten metal. Esmeralda loses her grip on Quasi, and she cries out as he falls. Frollo plummets to his death in the molten lead while Quasimodo is saved by Phoebus. Afterwards, Quasimodo accepts Phoebus and Esmeralda's love, and he gives them his blessing. They encourage him to leave the cathedral and when he does so, the people of Paris hail him as a hero.
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