The story begins on Epiphany (6 January), 1482, the day of the 'Feast of Fools' in Paris, France. Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback bell-ringer of Notre Dame, is introduced by his crowning as King of Fools.
Esmeralda, a beautiful Gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and a poor street poet, Pierre Gringoire, but especially those of Quasimodo and his adoptive father, Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame. Frollo is torn between his obsessive love and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but the hunchback is suddenly captured by Phoebus and his guards who save Esmeralda.



The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In 1488, seven years after the original film, Captain Phoebus is still serving as Paris's Captain of the Guard, despite the death of his previous superior (Judge Claude Frollo) in the previous film. He and Esmeralda have married and have a son named Zephyr. Quasimodo is now an accepted part of Parisian society; he still lives in Notre Dame with his gargoyle friends Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, and serves as the cathedral's bell-ringer. He and Zephyr are extremely close friends.
A circus troupe led by Sarousch enters town as part of "La Jour de Amour", a day dedicated to the celebration of romance. However, it is revealed that Sarousch is in reality a master criminal who plans to steal Notre Dame's most beloved bell, La Fidèle (The Faithful One), the inside of which is decorated with enormous jewels of various colors. He sends Madellaine, his aspiring assistant, to discover the whereabouts of La Fidèle. She encounters Quasimodo without seeing his face, and the two of them are hitting it off amazingly well despite having just met, but she runs away after seeing his face, shocked at his grotesque physical appearance.



The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2