Frollo shouts that Esmeralda is a witch and Esmeralda makes to leave the square. Gringoire notices that another man, Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame, also watches Esmeralda intently. The crowd watches, enthralled, as a beautiful gypsy girl named Esmeralda dances for them and does tricks with her pet goat, Djali. He wanders into the square of the Place de Grève (which is often used for public beatings and executions) where a crowd has gathered around a bonfire. Gringoire watches in dismay as the whole audience follows this procession from the hall.Īfter the day’s events, Gringoire finds himself with no money (he has not been paid for his play) and nowhere to sleep for the night. The crowd are afraid of Quasimodo because of his hideous appearance, but they crown him the fool’s pope and parade him through the streets. The Parisians recognize the man as Quasimodo, the hunchback bell-ringer of Notre Dame cathedral. Finally, a winner is chosen, and the crowd draw back in horror as they see how ugly he is. The crowd are delighted with the variety of hideous and terrifying faces that are on show. The people love this idea Gringoire’s work is immediately forgotten and a face-pulling contest is quickly arranged. Coppenole dislikes Gringoire’s play, which he finds stuffy, and tells the crowd that, in his country, they have a face-pulling contest to celebrate the “Feast of Fools” and whoever pulls the ugliest face is crowned the fool’s pope. Among these ambassadors is a Flemish man named Jacques Coppenole, who was a clothmaker before he was a nobleman and who dislikes the pomp and ceremony among the French upper classes. A few moments into the prologue, however, the ambassadors arrive, and the crowd are distracted by the procession of famous politicians who enter the hall.

At last, afraid for the safety of the actors (who are scared the crowd will hang them for making them wait), Gringoire orders them to start the play. Unfortunately for him, the guests of honor-a group of visiting ambassadors-are late and the crowd, who are squeezed into the hall, grow restless as they wait for the festivities to begin. The play’s author, Pierre Gringoire, is extremely proud of his work and excited to show it to the public. It is 1482 and the people of Paris have gathered to watch a play in the Palace of Justice to celebrate the “Feast of Fools” (a popular medieval carnival).

Notre dame of paris book