The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Book 7, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

The man who watches Esmeralda from the tower of Notre Dame is, in fact, Claude Frollo. He is in his cell inside the tower, where he goes every evening at sunset. The place is full of spiders and bats, who do nothing but eat flies. Tonight, as he climbs the stairs, he hears the music from Esmeralda’s tambourine and leans over the parapet to watch her dance.

Frollo watches Esmeralda with a strange, fiery look in his eyes. He notices that there is a man with Esmeralda in the crowd. The man wears a street performer’s outfit and, from time to time, pets Esmeralda’s goat, Djali. Frollo wonders who this man is because Esmeralda is usually alone. Frollo begins to descend the tower and, on his way, he passes Quasimodo.

Quasimodo also leans over the parapet and stares intently down into the square. Frollo stops to observe him, but Quasimodo is lost in thought and does not notice. Frollo thinks this is odd. He hurries downstairs and bursts out into the square. Esmeralda has gone. Frollo looks around and sees the street performer, who holds a chair in his teeth and balances a cat on it.

Frollo recognizes this man as Pierre Gringoire and cries out in surprise. Hearing his name, Gringoire is frightened and loses his balance. This sends the chair and cat toppling into the crowd and the audience begins to boo him. Frollo motions for Gringoire to follow him inside the church and Gringoire hurriedly obeys in order to escape from the angry crowd.

Inside Notre Dame, the hall is dark and gloomy. Frollo looks very serious when he turns to Gringoire, and he comments on the strange, colorful outfit that Gringoire wears. Gringoire explains that his own smock fell apart and this was all he could find. Once he had the outfit, Gringoire explains, it was hard not to become a street performer because this was what he looked like. Frollo makes a sarcastic comment, but Gringoire insists that he will starve to death if he cannot make money—he never got paid for his plays or his philosophy. 

Frollo asks Gringoire how he has ended up as Esmeralda’s companion and Gringoire answers that Esmeralda is his wife. At this, Frollo becomes enraged and seizes Gringoire by the collar. He demands to know if Gringoire has slept with Esmeralda, but Gringoire insists he has not, and that Esmeralda is a virgin. Frollo seems to calm down and asks how Gringoire can be sure of this. Gringoire says that Esmeralda has taken a vow of chastity because she believes that, if she remains pure, the amulet she wears around her neck will lead her to her parents, from whom she was separated at a young age.

Gringoire also explains that Esmeralda carries a dagger to fend off men’s advances. Frollo questions Gringoire about Esmeralda and Gringoire tells him everything he knows. Esmeralda is still very young and innocent, she loves to dance and to be outside, and she is a natural wanderer who has traveled all over Europe. The people around her love her and find her kind and cheerful. In fact, almost everyone in Paris seems to like her, except the recluse who lives in the rat-hole (who hates gypsies) and a priest who seems to bear a grudge against her.

When Frollo hears about the priest, he seems upset. Gringoire continues that Esmeralda does not practice witchcraft, so she is not afraid of the priest. Gringoire helps her collect money at her performances and helps care for Djali, to whom Gringoire has grown very attached. People often believe that the goat is magic, Gringoire says, but really, Esmeralda has trained Djali to do different tricks when she moves her tambourine. Esmeralda has also taught Djali to spell out the word “Phoebus” in wooden blocks.

Frollo asks Gringoire what “Phoebus” means to Esmeralda, and Gringoire says that she seems to think the word is magical and often murmurs it to herself like a prayer. Frollo suggests that perhaps it is a name, but Gringoire shakes his head and says that gypsies worship the sun. Suddenly, Frollo turns on Gringoire again and demands to know if Gringoire has ever touched Esmeralda. Gringoire assures him he has not and asks why Frollo is so interested.

Frollo blushes at this and seems taken aback. He says that he is worried for the sake of Gringoire’s soul. If Gringoire were to sleep with Esmeralda, Frollo says, then Gringoire would be ensnared by Satan and destined for Hell. Gringoire shrugs at this. He explains that he did, once, try to seduce Esmeralda, but she threatened him with her dagger. Another time, he peeped through the keyhole of her bedroom and saw her getting into bed. When Frollo hears this, he curses Gringoire and storms off into the church.