《巴黎圣母院》中的故事发生在十五世纪路易十一统治下的巴黎。流浪艺人艾丝美拉达是一位美丽纯洁的吉卜赛少女。圣母院副主教克洛德•弗罗洛对她动了邪念，指使他的养子、圣母院畸形的敲钟人卡西莫多对她进行劫持。艾丝美拉达被国王卫队长福玻斯救出，她随后便爱上了这个轻薄而负心的军官。副主教趁这对男女幽会之机，刺伤了福玻斯，并嫁祸于艾丝美拉达。艾丝美拉达被判处绞刑。卡西莫多对她也怀着爱慕之情，遂将她从刑场上救出，藏在圣母院避难。巴黎下层社会的乞丐和流浪人为了营救艾丝美拉达，围攻圣母院。国王派福玻斯领兵前去镇压。混战中，弗罗洛将艾丝美拉达劫走，威逼她屈从自己的淫欲，遭到坚决拒绝后，就把艾丝美拉达交给追捕的官兵，在钟楼上狞笑着看艾丝美拉达被绞死。绝望的卡西莫多看清了副主教的人面兽心，愤怒地将他从楼顶推下，活活摔死，自己则抱着少女的遗体自尽。The story in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame took place in Paris under the dictatorship of Louis XI in the 15th century. Esmeralda is a beautiful and pure Gypsy street dancer. Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame has the obsessive lust for Esmeralda. He orders Quasimodo, his adoptive son, a deformed hunchback, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame to kidnap her. Esmeralda is saved by Phoebus France, the king's guards captain. Esmeralda falls love with this frivolous and ungrateful officer. The Archdeacon takes advantage of their secret meeting, stabbed Fhoebus and put the blame on Esmeralda. Esmeralda is sentenced to death by hanging. With affection for Esmeralda, Quasimodo saved her in the execution ground and let her to hide in Notre Dame under the law of sanctuary. In order to save Esmeralda, beggars and tramps from the underclass in Paris attack the church jointly. The king orders Phoebus to suppress them with soldiers. In the tangled fight, Frollo takes her away and forces her to succumb to his lust. Esmeralda refuses him absolutely. Frollo hands her to soldiers who are pursuing and capturing her. He sees with grimly smiling that Esmeralda is hanged to death in the bell tower. Desperate Quasimodo sees through his heart of evil and pushes him from the heights of Notre Dame to his death. He holds Esmeralda's corpse and dies out of starvation.