Book 9, Chapter 4, Earthenware and Crystal
Esmeralda Maureen O’Hara 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame
This chapter features a lot more interactions between Esmeralda and Quasimodo. He gives her a caged bird. One important interaction is Quasimodo tries to get Phoebus to come to Notre Dame to see Esmeralda. Poor Quasimodo waits around till 1am as Phoebus is at a pre-wedding party. Phoebus also doesn’t come because he believes Esmeralda to be dead. Quasimodo failing this task cause him to limit his interactions with Esmeralda. He then tries to convince her that his love for her is better than her dreams of Phoebus. He does this by singing to her and with a visual of two vases, one beautiful crystal that is cracked so the flowers are withered and one earthenware which is course and common but it retains the water leaving beautiful flowers. Esmeralda choices the wither flower from the crystal vase. You don’t have to be an English major to get the imaginary of the vase, Phoebus is the Crystal and Quasimodo is the earthenware. After that Quasimodo doesn’t interact with Esmeralda directly which is okay with but he sleeps outside her cell.
This chapter has been done in parts in movies, mainly in the Quasimodo getting Phoebus for Esmeralda. Sometimes he offers to get him like in the book and sometimes Esmeralda makes him go. The caged bird is seen sometimes. He also tries to tell Esmeralda that he loves her but can’t. This chapter also gives use the famous ” Oh, why am I not made of stone, like you.” Which is said to a grotesque image carved on a wall and not a gargoyle. I suppose gargoyles are more dramatic for a movie.
No movie that I know has done the vases. This because it relies on Esmeralda being shallow and naive and the movie versions at this point grow her up where she accepts Quasimodo as at least a friend.
All in all, it’s a good interesting chapter.
Book 9, Chapter 5, The Key to the Porte-Rouge
Daniel Lavoie as Frollo Notre Dame de Paris
This chapter is Frollo learning that both Esmeralda and Phoebus are alive and thus is torment begins anew. He spends his time locked away and realizes he is jealous of Quasimodo. Then one night he can’t take his lust any more he head over to where Esmeralda is.
This is never done in the movie versions. If Frollo goes to Esmeralda it’s less pre-mediated or we just never see as Frollo isn’t the focus.
Book 9, Chapter 6, The Key to the Porte-Rouge (continued)
Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame
In this chapter Frollo tires to force himself on Esmeralda. Esmeralda is saved when she find the whistle that Quasimodo left her in chapter 3 of book 9, Deaf. Quasimodo attack Frollo but when he sees it’s Frollo he tells Frollo to kill him with the knife but Esmeralda grabs it first. Frollo isn’t too happy now.
You do sometimes see this scene in the movie, like in 1923, 1956, 1977, and the1982. It seldom ever played out perfect though I think the 1977 version is the closest.
is a slight variation of this but I still remember this wording from the first time I read the book.
does this scene well but libertto was written but Hugo himself and it hasn’t performed as an full opera since like 1836, people didn’t like it. I also know Der Glockner von Notre Dame had this scene in it but I have seen it and I can’t recall the script that I read ages ago.
