Tag Archives: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

After successfully evading Frollo’s soldiers, Esmeralda unexpectedly finds herself a veritable prisoner inside Notre Dame. While Frollo concedes that he can’t arrest the gypsy inside the cathedral, the moment she steps outside his men will be waiting. Esmeralda is rightfully frustrated, but the Archdeacon points out that maybe Someone in the cathedral can help her (hinting that she should turn to prayer). Esmeralda does indeed begin to pray, and the result is “God Help the Outcasts,” one of the best songs to come out of this film. It actually replaced another song named “Someday” (which you can hear over the end credits) when the directors wanted a quieter song for the scene.

For the song, Esmeralda is voiced by Heidi Mollenhauer (Demi Moore provides her speaking voice). The song is quiet and somber, as Esmeralda reflects on the plight of outcasts like herself, asking for God to help them since nobody else will.

I don’t know if You can hear me
Or if You’re even there
I don’t know if You would listen
To a gypsy’s prayer
Yes, I know I’m just an outcast
I shouldn’t speak to You
Still, I see Your face and wonder
Were You once an outcast, too?

God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don’t find on earth
God help my people
We look to You, still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will

Esmeralda’s prayer for the outcasts is in stark contrast to the rest of the people praying in the cathedral. While Esmeralda prays for others, the wealthy parishioners pray for themselves, asking for wealth and glory. These scenes are intercut with some gorgeous animated shots of the interior of the cathedral and its stained glass windows (the animators spent a lot of time studying the real Notre Dame to make it as accurate as possible).

I ask for wealth
I ask for fame
I ask for glory to shine on my name
I ask for love I can possess
I ask for God and His angels to bless me

Undeterred, Esmeralda insists that she herself wants nothing. Meanwhile, as this is going on, Quasimodo is slowly making his way down from the bell tower, lured by Esmeralda’s song. In all his life, I don’t think he’s ever heard a prayer like this before. The notion that someone would want to pray for people like him, I think this is the moment when Quasimodo really starts to fall in love with her.

I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God
God help the outcasts
Children of God

One of my favorite details in this song is that Esmeralda finishes while standing beneath one of the famed Rose Windows. Given the intricacies of the stained glass, it’s replicated in stunning detail, including its colorful shadow cast on the cathedral floor. I’m hoping that someday I can go to Paris and see these beautiful windows for myself.

“God Help the Outcasts” is one of those songs that almost always has me crying by the end, because it’s such a beautiful moment. What do you think of this song? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

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Quasimodo has one of the most dysfunctional and abusive upbringings in the Disney canon (even worse than Rapunzel’s, because while it’s true Mother Gothel kidnapped the princess and mentally abused her so she’d stay in the tower, she didn’t kill either of Rapunzel’s parents). After causing the death of Quasimodo’s mother, Judge Frollo (Tony Jay) nearly drowns her baby before the Archdeacon of Notre Dame stops him and orders him to raise the child as his own as penance for what he has done. Frollo translates this to keeping Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) locked up in the bell tower for the next twenty years, raising him to believe he is a monster that his mother abandoned.

As a young man, Quasimodo spends most of his days observing the residents of Paris (when not ringing the church bells) as they go about their daily lives, longing to walk among them. He especially wants to participate in the annual Feast of Fools and his friends the stone gargoyles encourage him to go. When Frollo learns that the bell-ringer tried to leave (again), he reminds Quasimodo that he is a monster and if he goes outside he’ll be reviled as such. The only way he can remain safe is to stay in the tower and do exactly as Frollo says. While Quasimodo acquiesces to his master’s wishes, his desire to experience life outside the cathedral remains and this is the theme for “Out There.”

Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone
Gazing at the people down below me
All my life, I watch them as I hide up here alone
Hungry for the histories they show me
All my life, I memorize their faces
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life, I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them

And out there, living in the sun
Give me one day out there, all I ask is one
To hold forever
Out there, where they all live unaware
What I’d give
What I’d dare
Just to live one day out there

Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them

If I was in their skin
I’d treasure every instant

Out there, strolling by the Seine
Taste a morning out there, like ordinary men
Who freely walk about there
Just one day and then, I swear
I’ll be content
With my share

Won’t resent
Won’t despair
Old and bent
I won’t care
I’ll have spent one day out there!

Quasimodo expresses the wish of many Disney heroes and heroines: “I don’t like how my life currently is, but if I can just do this one thing I will be happy forever.” The song is practically a staple in Disney musicals but that isn’t a bad thing if it’s done properly and “Out There” is one of my favorite Disney songs. During the scene, Quasimodo clambers all over Notre Dame, letting you see the beautiful sculptures and architecture that make the cathedral so famous. The animators took a special trip to Paris to sketch the building and it really shows throughout the film.

Of course, if you’ve been keeping up with Disturbing Disney then you know Quasimodo’s first trip into the outside world will end badly. Despite that, it’s so easy to feel for the bell-ringer as he sings; to be that close to a bustling medieval city that you’re not allowed to visit would leave anyone feeling lonely and depressed (it’s amazing that Quasimodo grows up relatively well-adjusted).

What do you think about “Out There”? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

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I have mixed feelings about “Topsy Turvy.” While it’s a funny song to be sure, I can’t really get into it because I know what’s going to happen to Quasimodo at the end. Nevertheless, I should still look it over.

The song takes place during the Feast of Fools, based on a real-life yearly celebration held once a year during the Middle Ages (particularly in France). The Feast of Fools was held on around the Feast of the Circumcision (January 1st) and in fact the song lyrics even mention that the day of the feast is January 6th (“On the 6th of January”). Quasimodo has wanted to attend this event for years but of course Frollo, being the cruel man he is, won’t let him as he’s raised his ward to believe he’s nothing more than a monster who doesn’t belong among people (and letting him attend the celebration might reveal the lie). Now 20 years old, Quasimodo lets his gargoyle friends talk him into sneaking out to attend anyway just as the celebration is getting underway.

The festival starts with a seemingly solemn procession inviting all to attend:

Come one, come all
Leave your looms and milking stools,
Coop the hens and pen the mules
Come one, come all
Close the churches and the schools
It’s the day for breaking rules
Come and join the Feast of…FOOLS!!!

With the arrival of Clopin (the same Clopin we meet at the start of the film), the song goes from semi-serious to very silly and stays there for the rest of the song. Having never been around so many people in all his life, Quasimodo is immediately overwhelmed and unfortunately his discomfort draws the mischievous attention of Clopin (I don’t think there’s anything malicious in his behavior, he just wants to have some fun at Quasimodo’s expense).

Once a year, we throw a party here in town
Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down
Every man’s a king and every king’s a clown
Once again it’s Topsy Turvy Day

It’s the day the devil in us gets released (Good is bad and best is worst and west is east)
It’s the day we mock the prig and shock the priest (On the day we think the most of those with least)
Everything is topsy turvy
At the Feast of Fools

Topsy Turvy; Everything is upsy-daisy

Topsy Turvy; Everyone is acting crazy

Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet
That’s the way on Topsy Turvy Day!

It’s while trying to get away from Clopin’s unwanted attention that Quasimodo accidentally stumbles into Esmeralda’s tent while she’s getting ready for her dance. Expecting to be reviled, Quasimodo is stunned when the beautiful gypsy simply shoos him away with a “No harm done” and a smile (and also complimenting his “mask” as she doesn’t realize that’s how he really looks).

Just before Esmeralda begins her dance, Frollo arrives in the most ominous looking carriage I’ve ever seen. Up until this point, you can almost enjoy the song but once he arrives that’s when you remember, oh yea, Quasimodo isn’t supposed to be out here, if Frollo catches him there’s going to be big trouble! But for now, Quasimodo is safely hidden and Clopin draws attention to the stage:

Come one, come all
Hurry, hurry; here’s your chance
See the mystery and romance
Come one, come all
See the finest girl in France
Make an entrance to entrance
Dance la Esmeralda…
Dance!

I have always loved this part of the scene when Esmeralda appears to dance in her beautiful red dress. Everyone is entranced with her, especially Quasimodo, Phoebus (who answers with an enthusiastic “Yes sir!” when Frollo mutters “Look at that disgusting display) and, though he hides it well, Frollo himself (ewwwww).

Technically the song continues after Esmeralda’s dance into the search for the new King of Fools but I’ve always regarded that scene as separate from the rest of the song (and I’ve already covered what happens in Disturbing Disney #20).

In conclusion, “Topsy Turvy” is a fun little song that serves to relax the audience before things get really twisted with the King of Fools incident. What do you think about this song? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Bells of Notre Dame” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

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Beginning with Pocahontas in 1995, Disney films began to slowly put twists on the traditional “happily ever after” ending. In the case of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, while Quasimodo clearly has feelings for Esmeralda, she ultimately falls in love with Phoebus, the one-time captain of Frollo’s guards. Before that happens though, the idea that Quasimodo and Esmeralda might end up together is teased in “Heaven’s Light” which takes place after the bell ringer helps the beautiful gypsy escape the cathedral.

Under Frollo’s “instruction,” Quasimodo has grown up believing that he will never find love, that no one would ever want him. But Esmeralda has proven that to be not true, so for the first time in his life, he’s dreaming of love:

So many times out there
I’ve watched a happy pair
Of lovers walking in the night
They had a kind of glow around them
It almost looked like Heaven’s light

I knew I’d never know
That warm and loving glow
Though I might wish with all my might
No face as hideous as my face
Was ever meant for Heaven’s light

But suddenly an angel has smiled at me
And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright

I dare to dream that she
Might even care for me
And as I ring these bells tonight
My cold, dark tower seems so bright
I swear it must be Heaven’s light

Thus encouraged, Quasimodo returns to ringing the bells for the evening service and the scene transitions to Frollo in his chambers at the Palace of Justice. Accompanied by the strains of the Confiteor, a penitential prayer, Frollo addresses himself to the Virgin Mary in a prayer of his own. As pure as Quasimodo’s song of love was only moments ago, Frollo’s is the complete opposite. This is the prayer of a hypocrite, one of sees the faults in everyone but not his own.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Hellfire” (1996)

Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti (I confess to God almighty)
Beatae Mariae semper Virgini (To blessed Mary ever Virgin)
Beato Michaeli archangelo (To the blessed archangel Michael)
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis (To the holy apostles, to all the saints)

Beata Maria, You know I am a righteous man
Of my virtue I am justly proud

Beata Maria
You know I’m so much purer than
The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd

Then tell me, Maria
Why I see her dancing there
Why her smold’ring eyes still scorch my soul

I feel her, I see her
The sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control

Like fire, Hellfire, This fire in my skin
This burning, Desire, Is turning me to sin

It took me so many years to understand everything that was happening in this sequence (I can tell you as a child the subtext went completely over my head). Basically, in the midst of his prayers, Frollo can’t get over the fact that he’s physically attracted to Esmeralda (a very beautiful woman). In his mind, he’s above this kind of desire (or at least he should be) and it’s driving him insane that he feels this way. Incidentally, the animation of Esmeralda dancing in the flames nearly didn’t make it into the film, as it initially appeared that she was nude (that’s why you can clearly see the outline of her dress in the fire).

And having acknowledged his descent into sin, Frollo is seemingly confronted by a hall full of heavenly judges in red robes. Pleading these desires aren’t his fault, the judges answer back Mea Culpa (It IS my fault). Again, we have to remember Frollo’s one weakness: above all else he fears being condemned to Hell and in his mind the blame lies squarely on Esmeralda.

Protect me, Maria
Don’t let the siren cast her spell
Don’t let her fire sear my flesh and bone
Destroy Esmeralda
And let her taste the fires of Hell!
Or else let her be mine and mine alone

This is one of the more twisted motivations any Disney villain has ever had. If Esmeralda can’t (or won’t) be his, he’ll destroy her. This is a messed up situation on any level and it gets even worse when a guard reports that Esmeralda has escaped the cathedral which is actually a really big deal. This means that Frollo likely sent the guard to fetch the gypsy and bring her back to his chambers to do who-knows-what to her!! Is it any wonder this is regarded as the darkest film of the Disney Renaissance?

“Hellfire” has gone down in history as the ultimate Disney Villain song and I don’t see any reason to disagree. But what do you think? Let me know your thoughts on “Heaven’s Light” and “Hellfire” in the comments below and have a great day!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Bells of Notre Dame” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Bells of Notre Dame” (1996)

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As far as openings of a Disney movie go, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is pretty dark from the beginning, though you initially don’t think so. The song begins with Clopin gathering children to his stall to tell them the story of the mysterious bell ringer who lives in the towers of the cathedral.

Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of the city’s
The toll of the bells
The bells of Notre Dame

You know things are going to be interesting though, when Clopin begins his story with “It’s a tale, a tale of a man…and a monster…” The story then flashes back twenty years to a group of gypsies who are sneaking into Paris.

Dark was the night when our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame

Four frightened gypsies slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame

But a trap had been laid for the gypsies
And they gazed up in fear and alarm
At a figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells, the bells of Notre Dame

Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin,

And he saw corruption everywhere, except within

The verses here are interspersed with excerpts from the Latin mass, Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) and Dies Irae (Day of Wrath). This is one detail that I’ve always loved about the score for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the connection to the mass, which back in the time this film was set in was a big deal in people’s daily lives.

The story is already dark enough: the gypsies are captured and arrested for no other crime than being gypsies, but then it gets worse. A soldier notices the bundle the woman is carrying and Frollo assumes it’s stolen goods when a quick check would have revealed it’s just a baby. Instead, Frollo (the best example of a hypocrite you’ll find in any Disney film) callously demands the bundle be taken away which prompts the woman to run for her life with her baby with the strains of Dies Irae in the background. It’s a pulse-pounding sequence as the woman dodges and leaps through the snowy streets of Paris with Frollo close behind on his black horse (he’s the villain so naturally it’s a black horse).

This chase leads to one of the most shocking moments in any Disney film (so shocking that I’m still contemplating adding it to the Disturbing Disney series). First, at the steps of the cathedral, Frollo seizes the baby, causing the mother to fall back and hit her head on the stone steps, killing her instantly. Then, when Frollo realizes he’s holding a baby, one he deems a ‘monster’ because of its deformities, he spots a well in the square and rides over to drop the baby in!! Let me repeat that: the villain of the film was clearly attempting infanticide (in a Disney film) and was only stopped because the archdeacon intervened!

I love the interchange between the archdeacon (David Ogden Stiers) and Frollo. The latter obviously feels no guilt for what has happened and his callousness infuriates the priest.

Archdeacon: (singing) See there the innocent blood you have spilt
On the steps of Notre Dame
Frollo: I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued.
Archdeacon: Now you would add this child’s blood to your guilt
On the steps of Notre Dame?
Frollo: My conscience is clear
Archdeacon: You can lie to yourself and your minions
You can claim that you haven’t a qualm
But you never can run from nor hide what you’ve done from the eyes
The very eyes of Notre Dame

And for one time in his life of power and control,

Frollo felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul

There’s actually a double meaning in the archdeacon’s last line. “The eyes of Notre Dame” doesn’t just refer to the eyes of the sculptures covering the cathedral. It can also refer to Our Lady, meaning the Virgin Mary (who is greatly revered in Roman Catholicism). This last portion of the song sets up Frollo’s one weakness, if you can call it that. Above all else, he fears going to Hell when he dies. That’s why he accepts the punishment of raising Quasimodo for the rest of his days (though I’m sure keeping him locked up in the bell tower was not what the archdeacon had in mind).

“The Bells of Notre Dame” provides a beautifully crafted introduction to the film, one of the best in the Disney Renaissance. What do you think about it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

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Disturbing Disney #20: Quasimodo is crowned ‘King of Fools’ (1996)

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It’s a trope that’s almost guaranteed to appear in any Disney film: the young hero/heroine is admonished by an authority figure NOT to do something; they do it anyway and as a result they end up in big trouble. Such is the case in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). The sweet Quasimodo is compelled to live in the bell tower of the cathedral by his reluctant guardian Frollo on the grounds that the outside world is evil and dangerous (a similar argument is used by Mother Gothel years later on Rapunzel). Quasimodo wants more than anything to go out among the people, so when the annual ‘Feast of Fools’ comes around, the bell ringer can’t take it anymore and sneaks out to join in the festivities.

From the moment I watched this film in the theater, I knew something bad was going to happen at some point. Either Quasimodo was going to get caught, locked up, or something. And when Frollo arrived in his carriage, I thought the moment was imminent. But then…nothing seemed to happen. True, Quasimodo was found out, but instead of being rejected, he’s crowned ‘King of Fools’ by the audience and paraded around the city (much to Frollo’s displeasure, though it seems he can’t do anything about it for the moment). For a brief moment, I actually believed that things were going to be okay…and then the real trouble started.

Suddenly, two guards lob tomatoes at Quasimodo, prompting the rest of the crowd to join in (I’m not sure if this is an annual thing or if this is just a case of mob mentality). So far the scene has just turned cruel; what makes it disturbing is when the crowd ties Quasimodo down to the platform when he tries to run away, spinning him around so everyone can get a good shot at him. Even the colors turn darker (starting when Quasimodo is tied down and his hump is exposed), highlighting how wrong and terrible this situation is.

As someone who suffered from a lot of bullying in school, this scene has never failed to trigger me. Quasimodo’s perspective of viewing these people who were cheering him minutes ago and are now hurting him and laughing while they do it is just heartbreaking. It gets even worse when Frollo forbids Phoebus from intervening, stating that “a lesson needs to be learned here.” I don’t know why I felt surprised at Frollo’s actions; on further consideration, it’s likely he felt the crowd’s treatment was far worse than any punishment he could have devised for Quasimodo.

While it’s true that Esmeralda steps in to stop the abuse, the damage has already been done. The Quasimodo that stumbles back into the cathedral is broken now in a way that he wasn’t when the film started. Before, he at least had his dream of someday going out among the people, now he doesn’t even have that.

This scene is a classic example of why I started the Disturbing Disney series and it makes for a fitting entry (the 20th in the series!)

What do you think of this scene? Does it disturb you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a good day!

See also:

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Disturbing Disney #1: The Coachman in Pinocchio (1940)

Disturbing Disney #2: The truth of Pleasure Island in Pinocchio (1940)

Disturbing Disney #3: Escaping Monstro from Pinocchio (1940)

Disturbing Disney #4: Dumbo loses his mother (1941)

Disturbing Disney #5 The death of Bambi’s Mother

Disturbing Disney #6: Faline vs. the dogs (1942)

Disturbing Disney #7: Cruella wants to do WHAT??

Disturbing Disney #8: The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met (from Make Mine Music, 1946)

Disturbing Disney #9: Dr. Facilier’s Fate (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

Disturbing Disney #10: The rat in Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Disturbing Disney #11: Clayton’s Death in Tarzan (1999)

Disturbing Disney #12: The Bear from The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Disturbing Disney #13: “Smoking them out” in The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Disturbing Disney #14: The Salt Trap in The Jungle Book (1994)

Disturbing Disney #15: Night on Bald Mountain from Fantasia (1940)

Disturbing Disney #16: King Triton destroys Ariel’s grotto

Disturbing Disney #17: Ratigan becomes a monster in The Great Mouse Detective

Disturbing Disney #18: The Queen’s assignment for her Huntsman

Disturbing Disney #19: Cinderella’s dress is destroyed (1950)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Court of Miracles” (1996)

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By this point in the story things are looking pretty grim for our heroes: not only does Frollo claim to know exactly where Esmeralda and the rest of the gypsies are hiding, he also plans to “attack at dawn with a thousand men.” After Frollo leaves with a knowing smile on his face, Phoebus (who has heard everything), comes out of hiding and tells Quasimodo that they need to find the Court of Miracles and Esmeralda before Frollo does.

And as it turns out, Quasimodo has a way of finding the hidden refuge in the talisman that Esmeralda gave him. It turns out it’s actually a map of Paris and a certain symbol leads them to the entrance of an old catacomb. As the pair make their way, it quickly becomes obvious that they’re being followed, though Phoebus and Quismodo don’t notice. Phoebus, who has been trying (and failing) to make light of the situation, notes that:

“speaking of trouble we should’ve run into some by now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know, a guard…a booby trap…” *the torch is snuffed out* “Or an ambush…”

Torches blaze up and the pair are surrounded by gypsies, exactly who they were hoping to find! Unfortunately for our heroes, Clopin, their leader, isn’t interested in anything they have to say since Phoebus is still recognized as Frollo’s captain of the guard and Quasimodo is mistakenly believed to be a loyal henchman, so they must be spies! This is the start of the all too short “Court of Miracles” where Clopin and the rest of the gypsies taunt their captives with how they keep themselves safe by killing any and all intruders.

You were very clever to have found our hideaway,

unfortunately…you won’t live to tell the tale!

Maybe you’ve heard of a terrible place where the scoundrels of Paris collect in a lair,

Maybe you’ve heard of that mythical place called the Court of Miracles…

Hello! You’re There!

In a bit of a twist, it’s revealed that many of the gypsies are only pretending to be disabled. The disguises come off when they return home, hence the seeming reason why it’s call the court of “miracles” because everyone suddenly becomes normal:

The lame can walk! And the blind can see!

But the dead don’t talk! So you won’t be around to reveal what you’ve found!

We have our methods for spies and intruders, rather like hornets protecting their hive.

Here in the Court of Miracles where it’s a miracle if you get out alive!

With a loud laugh, Phoebus and Quasimodo are dragged into the Court of Miracles where they’re led to a large scaffold, to be mocked and jeered at by the rest of the gypsies before they’re executed (Djali the goat recognizes the pair and runs to get Esmeralda). Clopin is now dressed as a judge and prepares to hold a “trial” for the pair.

Justice is swift in the Court of Miracles,

I am the lawyer and judge all in one!

We like to get the trial over with quickly because it’s the sentence that’s really the fun!

Any last words? *Phoebus and Quasimodo shout through their gags* That’s what they ALL say…

Now that we’ve seen all the evidence *Puppet “Wait, I object!* Overruled! *”I object!!”*

*QUIET!!!* *…dang…*

We find you totally innocent…which is the worst crime of all…SO YOU’RE GOING TO HANG!!

“STOP!!” And just in the nick of time, here comes Esmeralda to save our heroes’ skins! She informs the incredulous Clopin that Phoebus and Quasimodo aren’t spies, they’re friends.

“Why didn’t they say so?” Clopin sputters, not quite believing what he’s hearing.

“We DID say so!” the disgruntled pair spit back, annoyed at having come all this way only to be nearly executed for trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, the right thing turned out to be exactly what Frollo wanted them to do…which is lead him directly to the Court of Miracles…

And that’s “The Court of Miracles” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame! It’s a short song, but one of my favorites 🙂 I always thought it was funny that Clopin was so caught up in the moment of catching more spies that he completely missed the pair telling him they weren’t spying at all but were trying to warn them! Let me know what you think of this song in the comments below.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame “The Bells of Notre Dame” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Out There” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Topsy Turvy” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “God Help the Outcasts” (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” (1996)

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