Non of those movies brought much money in the beginning tho. It would be a stupid idea from a buisniss point of view to creat more "dark" (I like moody more to describe them) movies when the main audience for toys and stuff are children who don't like those kind of movies.
@@aniflowers1998 yeah from a business point of view movies like frozen 2 are making so much money because it's all pretty and magic but then again none of these movies will be as memorable as the old Disney is .
@@divishagarwal1234 True. Frozen had no reason to be super dark because Frozen is based on a fairy tale while movies like Hunchback of Notre Dame & Lion King were based on dark novels, Shakespearn plays & biblical stories
@@joshualowe959 The old Disney fairy tales had some pretty dark moments in them, (little mermaid, sleeping beauty, snowhite) I really miss those in the new Disney movies.
Frollo has committed more crimes than any other Disney villain: 1. He kills Quasimodo's mother in front of a church 2. He attempts to drown baby Quasimodo in a well. 3. He imprisons Quasimodo and makes him believe that people would call him a monster 4. Refuses to rescue Quasimodo from being tortured by the crowd 5. Gropes Esmeralda in a church 6. Offered people money to get them to bring Esmeralda to him. 7. Burns down half the city and commits genocide 8. Attempts to unlawfully burn Esmeralda at the stake even though he's a judge
Seriously, about the people from whom he hid Quasimodo, Frolo was right. It was only in the fairy-tale world of the cartoon that he could be accepted so easily. In the real Middle Ages, he would have been despised and hated, many would like to do with him like Frolo, namely, to kill him as a spawn of the devil. To be honest, it seems that Frolo is the only person of the real Middle Ages in this fabulous Disney Paris. This is a time of ignorance, xenophobia, cruelty and fanaticism. In the real world, Frolo would be right to hide Quasimodo and prevent the world from seeing him. The hunchback could live his life in peace, living his life day by day, getting an education from Frolo, without the humiliation, contempt and bullying that he would inevitably undergo from this harsh world. In fact, the cartoon should have had many characters like Frolo, because in real life he is not evil, he is a product of his era, the reality and the environment in which he lived made him so and he was far from being a fool and had an idea about how the world works. Frolo was really kind in his own way to Quasimodo and atoned for his guilt by giving him a calm and prosperous life. Otherwise, he would have to drag out his existence on the street, in hunger, cold and humiliation, and his maximum would be to work in the circus as a local freak. So I think that point 3 is quite justified, and 4 excludes it. Frolo wanted the Hunchback to learn a lesson about what the real world is, because in reality he would have to endure this all the time, and maybe even worse.
This movie is one of those movies that you understand once you grow, sure children can kinda undertand thw general idea but considering the real meaning... i don't think so. Disney used to be pretty fearless.
I don't think Frollo was necessarily IN LOVE with Esmeralda. I think he just viewed her as a sex object. It would make sense since he clearly has 0 respect for the gypsy people and being in love with someone implies that you have some degree of respect for them so he literally only saw her as an object.
Because Frollo was so obsessed with religion, he viewed all physical pleasures as a mortal sin and therefore completely beneath him. He never married because of that mindset. However, the reason WHY he was so completely obsessed with religion is the biggest question. The original Frollo from the book was an orphan, and maybe this Frollo had his parents killed by Gypsy's which explains his hatred of them, and the church raised him after that.
If I remember the book correctly, his parents died of the plague and he had to raise his little brother while working in the church. The church gave him a job and shelter in a desperate time, so I think he felt really thankful
In the book his parents died of the plague. Although I don't believe the story specifies, I'm doubtful that Frollo and his younger brother's parents were peasants. The plague killed millions across Europe, so there would have been many orphans in France and especially in Paris. The church could have only taken in so many, so my guess is that Frollo's father or mother may have been just wealthy or just important enough for Frollo and Jehan to be prioritized over other youngsters in need. Also since he eventually became highly educated, it's possible that when taken in by the church as a youth (Jehan was still a baby) he may have already known how to read. Literacy rates among anyone outside the clergy or aristocracy were very low at that time, so if that's the case it would add to the argument of his parents having had some education and privilege themselves. I guess only Victor Hugo knew for sure. 😜 Also in the book, Frollo becomes obsessed with alchemy (which in popular view of the era had associations with the occult), and starts doing all those cliche old-timey alchemist things like try to create gold and find the philosopher's stone. The church considered these things forbidden knowledge and an affront to God and nature, so at that point Frollo is just kind of losing his sanity to delusions of grandeur. His story arc reminds me of Rasputin in that way (though Rasputin would have been a young man and an unknown when Hugo died, so any similarities are coincidental).
I think his obsession with her was control. He was obviously very controlling and lusted in his position of power and religious superiority. He hated the gypsy people and their sinful ways and saw them as not human. He chased and persecuted them and they ran away like Vermont cowering in fear of him. Until esmeralda who was not only beautiful but also stood her ground in front of him and snapped back. He went and hunted her down but she called sanctuary and used his own religion as a way to stop him dead in his track. I think his attraction to her was based on obsession of control and wanting to win the game of cat and mouse and make her submit to him. Either by submitting as a wife and giving up her culture for security, submitting as a woman in bed, or by submitting her life and begging for mercy by fire. The fact someone he sees beneath him stands up against him and repeatedly evades him probably drives his ego and superiority complex wild and makes him confront his own flaws. He deflects the anger and rage for losing his cool and control on the rest of paris. And losing his final control over quasi was the last nail in the coffin for him to completely lose it.
@@TheFangirlWatches Hey could you do a theory about. Hmmm. On a show (The episodes are on UA-cam) Called monster allergy. Because it has a lot of unanswered questions. But please watch the whole show. It's a good one
Now I'm just imagining them in a private room together while Gothel sings Mother Knows Death to dominate and Frollo being all into it. You don't know what you've done to my dirty mind Joshua! 😂
If I am not mistaken, Frollo was a priest in the source material, which are generally required to be unmarried. So perhaps it's as simple as Disney deciding to change his occupation for their version but not bothering to change his marital status?
Alternative theory: he married a gypsy who betrayed him and died in the process. This would explain why he said: "gypsies are incapable of true love" to Quasimodo. If he passionately loved a gypsy who died and she didn't betray him, he likely wouldn't have said that, especially in such an passionate and angry way.
I think he was able to keep pure until he saw emererlda all that sexual frustration mixed with catholic guilt and anger that she would never be with him . Contributed to it . Or maybe he saw gypsy people as seductress and seducer's with is not catholic at all he thought they were all bad and as a result he wanted them gone
It might be possible he was raised in a Christian or rich family most likely been abused or taught at young age that's all got when I watched this character
I would say he's very much a person of decent upbringing. I don't know if he'd be quite to noble level, unless he's the 2nd or 3rd son in the family, but he certainly knows how to command respect through fear, and that's not an easy skill to master. Frollo is one of those guys who walks around like he owns the place and everyone is too afraid to speak up and stop him, lol.
@@TheFangirlWatches Second sons in rich families were expected to work around the Church or law, "take Henry VII and Mansfield Park" so, Frollo being the second son of a nobleman and brought up to help the Church and law from birth would work. And he definitely didn't have the best parents, to put it mildly, knowing how abused children can pass on their mistreatment to their own.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Frollo’s brother, Jehan from the book. There, his parents died of plague leaving Frollo to care for his younger brother when he was still very young. Frollo was a workaholic and never had a childhood of his own. He studied 7 different languages, and several subjects like law, theology, math, medicine, and even Alchemy-- a subject which folks didn’t approve of and called him a witch. Now why would he put all his time and effort into learning all that? I think he was trying to find a cure for the plague with the priests and plague doctors. Since he found their version of medicine obsolete. Meanwhile with Jehan, Jehan grew spoiled. Frollo loved him, but grew frustrated at how Jehan constantly begged him for money. Money he’d spend on whoring, drinking, and gambling. Things which Frollo wasn’t fond of. When Frollo took in Quasi he made sure to be stricter with him and more humble so he wouldn’t repeat his mistakes. Now this is where things are left to people’s own takes. The Book version had Jehan killed by Quasimodo during the siege of Notre Dame and got his skull smashed in. Frollo was devastated. But since that clearly didn’t happen in the Disney version. I personally think Jehan was murdered by a gypsy. There are comics where Frollo had a confirmed Nephew, Eric Frollo who ran away due to Frollo’s controlling behavior. (Taking a note from the musical version) Jehan met a gypsy whore, Florika and intended to make her his wife. Frollo was repulsed- seeing as she tried to hit on him ON HIS BIRTHDAY! But there was another who lived Florika too. Sarousch, his face was disfigured into a permanent smile so he couldn’t win Florika over. Once he found out she was carrying Jehan’s twins- Eric and Madeline, he gutted Jehan and stole his daughter and ruined her face. Frollo was horrified. The one family member he had left was murdered. He couldn’t find the man who killed him but swore to kill all the Gypsies until all his problems were solved. He abandoned his studies in alchemy now believing the Gypsies were the ones who started the plague (Much like what happened to the Jews). He lusted after Esmeralda because she had the 1 thing he didn’t have. Love.
I wasn't really a fan of this movie, but I've always thought Frollo was one of the best Disney villains ever made. The fact that he burned all of paris to find Esmeralda was terrifying to me, and Hell fire is one of the best Disney villain songs ever
In a play where frollo's character was expanded on, it was because he blamed a gypsy for the death of his brother (and in the play frollo was Quasimodo's uncle). I just wanted to mention this.
That can definitely play a huge factor in what shaped his mind. But it is REALLY peculiar that he became so obsessive about Esmeralda if she and all of her people were so far "beneath" him. He's seen other women like her before, on a daily basis from some of the things he says, but SHE became his focus. *shudder*
I think its more likely that if this was true, the gypsy girl he was in love with was an object of desire for him and she reciprocated for a while and then moved on to a different town or something and he felt completely betrayed and that sent him into a downward spiral of saying that gypsys 'arent capable of real love' and he felt the need to get rid of ALL of them, because that phrase would imply that he felt betrayed when he felt carnally for a gypsy in the past, and she reciprocated for a while but then dropped him.
I really was terrified of Frollo. He truly thoughts his actions were "good" yet in all truth they weren't. We've had actual people of history (Hitler, Stalin Kim Jon-Un) who thought this exact same way & thought their actions were "good". It's scary to think ab when it's actually taken place. There r real people out in this world that acts like this to this day. It's pretty terrifying
Tony Jay also voiced Rex Smythe-Higgins the first in Hey Arnold. Personally, I find it weird to picture Frollo ever being married. I honestly think that he just grew up with a racist and very strict religious family. Like the very thought of accidentally lusting after a woman might have scared from ever having a dating life so he doesn't go to heck (*shrugs*). To me, what Frollo feeling isn't love, that's straight-up lust. I think Frollo just hates Esmerelda all the more for "seducing" him. Like he's had so many impure thoughts of her that in is mind marrying her is the only way of cleansing and redeeming his soul (though not sure if that sounds crazy though). If he read his Bible like a good, Christian boy, he would know that instead of blaming the woman for his lustful thoughts, he should gouge his own eyes out in. But you know how it is is in the 1400s, men always blaming women for their own problems. Just look at Henry the 8th (not exactly the 1400s anymore when he married each one of his wives, but close enough XD). Though, with my own explanation, I suppose it would be easier to just say he was married to someone like Esmerelda once. XD
Frollo is by far one of my favorite villains in Disney next to Maleficant (what can I say? Purple is my favorite color), what I find the most interesting about him is that he’s one of the few villains who doesn’t have magical powers that is actually terrifying. Not mention Hellfire is one of the best villain songs ever, during a time when Disney was willing to take a risk. Him being married actually makes sense on why he was obsessed with Esmerelda, because she reminds him of his dead wife and wanted to replace her to fill the void she left behind. But when it comes to wanting to eradicate the Gypsies is because he blames them for her death. It’s kinda sad, but that doesn’t give him an excuse for the cruel actions on innocent people both Gypsy and Nongypsy (as you said).
Frollo is also the only Disney Villain I can think of who didn't have some blatant flaw that could be exploited. I mean, Frollo had faults and flaws as a person, be in general he was so very resolved and stoic that was no chance of defeating him - he WAS power and oppression. Had he not fallen off Notre Dame, he wouldn't have been stopped imo.
Disney's most human and realistic villain! The fact that he's so complex and that world has had a history of highly misguided religious zealots. Is what makes Frollo relatable and terrifying.
At least in the book, Frollo was the arch-deacon. That meant a life of servitude. A life without a wife or husband or any kind of relationship like that. That'll mess with a person's mind a lot.
There’s also the stage production story where his brother lived with the gypsies and had a son (Quasimodo) with one. He then died because of his lifestyle and Frollo took care of him. He then took out his revenge on hating the gypsies.
He wanted her because she was something his religious views told him he could never have something he had never had because he was religious and celibate maybe, she represented that plus the freedoms of a life not bound to the service of a god as he felt his was?
I like where you are going with this, though there is another possibility that could have worked. What if Claude's wife, or fiance, ran off with to be with a male gypsy? That would make his pursuit of the gypsies more personal. We can see he can torture and murder without much regret. Maybe he pursued her and killed her and her lover then pushed himself deeper into the church to show how faithful he was.
I always figured Frollo was SUPER sexually repressed and saw sex = sinful, hence why he was so eager to jump down the slippery slope the second he started feeling lust. And one aspect of the Gypsy Hate stems from the distinction of Settled vs Nomadic people, specifically the cultural standards of ownership of property and the definition of theft. To a nomad, your.property is what you can use and carry. So they see nothing wrong with taking anything not nailed down if they need it. And if they can pull it up with a prybar, it wasn't nailed down. Hence the "thieves" vs "not thieves" debate. At least, that's what I had it explained as.
Made it to the end! I never really thought about why Frollo did what he did, but I really do think you’re right. As a writer and bookworm myself I also agree that villains need to be three dimensional and do my best to make my villains three dimensional.
I remember Mark Hammil in an interview once, and he said the best villains are the ones who really believe what they're doing is right. I 100% see Frollo in that, and I think that helps to make him so scary. All the other Disney Villains seem to be well aware that they're up to something nefarious, but Frollo has convinced himself that it's the right thing because it's his will.
I love the angle that you took the cause of pirollos behavior. But I may be looking too deep into it, in his song Hellfire there was a line but he said of my virtue I am justly proud. I took that to believe that he's a virgin. And when Esmeralda dared to get close enough to touch him, it sparked something in him that he'd had never felt before. Only 6 minutes into the video loving it so far.
In the book, Frollo is someone who never really had the chance to live his teenage milestones, so at 35, he still had the social skills of an autistic teenager, and the responsibility to care for two people on top of his duties as archdeacon. I think if Disney's Frollo is anything like that, it might be an explanation. Also, I don't think that Frollo's interest in Esmeralda is purely sexual, as any pretty woman would do, and people rarely have lustful feelings towards only a single person, and rarely is it so obsessive. I think it might there is something about his psyche that longs for this kind of cheerfulness about life.
"fun" fact: pickpockets are still a big problem in France, as well as some other European countries. One lifted a copy of my passport (that i was keeping in a friend's bag) at the Louvre. Luckily it was just a copy. But ~ yeah. "Gypsy" (referring to the stereotype and not the Roma people) culture is quite prevalent. You also see street performers all over, which is the upside :) Also, it's not unheard of for racists to develop a crush on someone of the ethnic group they're racist against. I actually knew someone who was racist against Hispanics yet he also fetishized Hispanic girls o.o Guess it's part of the "love and hate are closer than one might think" theory 🤷 Wait...people being hanged in the 1400s for being gay? You sure it was hanging? Maybe it was just to peasants or people who were exclusively having homosexual relations? Because secret boy toys were very common among nobles. It was basically a priest situation where no one would need to say anything but it could be assumed that many have touched little boys :v If you're trying to go for a possible motive on his part, I'd go with that his nonRoma wife became ill soon after some Roma came into town. When she died he blamed them for doing witchcraft and that spread to all Roma. Or something like that. I don't know....if his wife was Roma then I don't think he'd hate all Roma...unless other Roma were against their union or something
Being gay was punishable by jail time and forced labor just the last century in England, so yeah it’s not that hard to believe being gay was punishable by death many centuries ago, and even now in many counties.
@@1000-i7d Sodomy was illegal..it had less to due with homosexuality and more to do with "sex should only be for reproductive purposes". So masturbation was also a crime. And, from what I know, death wasn't the first punishment they went for. They did that for people who openly preached sex for nonreproductive purposes or otherwise spoke out against that law. Not saying it's a good law (and sodomy is actually one there's still a law against even today although not enforced) but context and details are keys to understanding. Before Christianity, homosexuality wasn't even the word "homosexual" nor "heterosexual" until the mid to late 1800s because it wasn't a thing that was given much thought. It was common for people to fool around with both, especially for ones of the same sex to be younger (older men loved having their boytoys in particular). When Christianity/Catholicism became a thing that slowly started becoming an underground thing, something people kept to themselves. Once it was in full swing, sex became a big taboo, especially when it wasn't for reproductive purposed. Really, it seems like the demonisation of sex is what lead to homosexual persecution. Meanwhile, women who masturbated were accused of witchcraft :v You know, riding those broomsticks ;)
Moira Menzelli so,,, homosexual people were persecuted,, like i genuinely have no idea what point you’re trying to make,, homosexuality was still illegal and homosexual people were killed? Like it doesn’t change a thing if it was for sodomy or something else, people still died lmao
@@1000-i7d Don't know what I'm trying to say? It's literally in the first sentance... Again, facts do matter, as does context. At that time it wasn't illegal to be homosexual. People were not charged with "being gay". They were chraged with "sadomy" or for a charge having to due with wasting potential life. It was ejaculate inside a woman's vagina or not at all. (and obviously they didn't think women could ejaculate :v) Was more like "if you don't cum inside a woman, then you're killing babies". Homosexuality specifically becoming illegal was later on. P.S. This will be the last I'll respond to you because I can tell that you're stubborn and likely wanting to keep thinking your own way since you think you're correct. I doubt you even gave my comments a thorough read.
Hi, when I was a toured Europe my dad's wallet got stolen in Rome, my passport got stolen (thankfully I realised it instantly and I chased those kids) again in Rome. Many more attempts in Paris. Why is this so prevalent in Europe?
I absolutely love this movie! It’s so good and it has a darkness to it that is still kid friendly. My favourite version of the story though is definitely the french musical because it has awesome songs and my favourite character is in it. Fun fact, Claude Frollo has a nephew in one of the comics, his name is Eric.
I guess the better reason is given in the book: he is just very very very catholic. He can't have this sexual feelings for a woman, specially a herege one. Of course, in the book, he is a priest not a judge, but in the movie, he is still a very religious person (that's the main reason he didn't kill Quasimodo when he was a baby, he fears for his soul). Esmeralda isn't baptized, she isn't christian. She is a "witch", a "demon", someone who uses dark forces to make him have these "impure thoughts". So he hates her, but he still wants her. I don't think he has any kind of love for her, it's purely sexual, and it's terrifying for him.
I always liked the idea of his mother having been a gypsy his father married and she ran off after he was born or something bad happened to her and out of bitterness or resentment for running off Frollo's dad told him how evil and wicked gypsy were so the bias and racism was forced on him from a young age. And emeralda reminds him of his mother who he hates and loves at the same time. Maybe the idea that if he could "save" esmeraldas soul he'd save his mother's soul. I always thought that was a kind of compelling backstory
I miss Tony Jay as well 😢 he started as a radio star before movie to tv and movies. I first heard him in Legacy of Kain where he played the Elder God. Such an amazing voice!!
The musical has Frollo's hatred of gypsies stemming from his own brothers fall from grace. His brother married a gypsy girl and died, saddling him with a disformed nephew.
I know this video's old, I just wanted to chime in since I didn't see any comments on it that "g*psy" is actually a racial slur toward the Romani people (some use Roma but it's moreso used in political contexts. Variations exist and Romani folks tend to use what's comfortable in their local region.) It originated from people thinking they'd come from Egypt instead of Nothern India, and while some Romani organizations have taken back the term, the use of the term in relation to the Romani people as well as "being g*pped" should be taken into account when discussing this movie and other stuff that involves Romani characters, cultures, and stereotypes. Like it's not any reviewer's fault that the movie used the slur, and just giving a heads up that it'll be used in discussion is better than nothing (but I'm not one to be the judge) In modern times we can all choose how we talk about characters like Esmeralda in everyday, casual conversations. Just figured I'd give a history lesson since I always see people use the term casually when discussing HoND and a lot of folks just were never taught anything about these cool folks beyond fortuneteller stereotypes and HoND.
So Frollo does get a back story in the Hunchback of Norte Dame musical. It never made it to broadway but if you search for it on here, there are a couple of videos that show the whole musical. It does explain his hatred of Esmeralda and her people but it also humanizes him a bit more since Frollo in the movie is probably the most evil Disney villain, at least from my knowledge of Disney villains.
Oh yes, I would agree that Frollo is the most frightening villain because his resolve was so concrete, he had no motives to explain his actions, and there was no stopping him or changing his mind because he WAS power. If he hadn't fallen, he would have won.
I love your videos Meghan. We would DEFINITELY be BFF's. And as for the Gypsies thing, have you ever seen Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa?
Plus if his wife died in childbirth, taking their child with her, that kind of heartbreak would probably cause him to be that much more callous to Quasi, thinking about the child he lost. The child that God took away from him.
Cool idea. Would devenitely be interesting! Though I don't know if I would go as far as asuming his wife was a gypsi, but maybe she got killed by one in some sort of accident? Maybe similar to how Quasimodos mother died. The gypsi tried to rob her, she fell and cracked her head open. I think something like that would give him more reason to hate gypsis, and it doesn't rule out the posibility that Esmeralda might look similar to his dead wife.
This reminds me of the book (I think, it's actually been decades since I read it...). If I recall right, Quasimodo was actually switched with Esmeralda at birth, so it's almost like a political commentary of how you can't tell the different groups apart to even know if you're persecuting your own people.
Don't take this is as me dissing your theory cause I actually can see that I just have a counter argument, sometimes people just suck, sometimes there's no sad backstory or rhyme or reason for they're behavior trust me I've met plenty of people that were total assholes for no good reason
how about he had a wife who died during childbirth the baby survived frollo gave up the baby and abandened it gypsys took on the baby that baby was esmerelda when she grows up frollo sees his wife and cant tell the difference between his daughter and his wife due to his pent up anger and thats why he tries to marry her hoping it would help him be happy again
I love him as a villain because like Gustan he can easily manipulate people to his side. I got my own theory. People treat Sex like a unholy thing now? Think about back then. I think Frollo had never experience sexual attraction that's why When Esmeralda came in he fell so quickly and didn't know how to handle it. He probably was taught to repress such "Unholy feelings" that came with attraction which made him emotionally unhealthy. Since no one thought its a natural part of a human being to have such feelings Frollo thought it was a horrible sin, the song Hellfire describing his feelings perfectly. So basically he's a guy who hates the fact that he's horny and blames Esmeralda from making him feel this way like a spoiled man child with the power he has.
I remember that in elementary school we actually watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame because it was the teacher's favorite movie. Btw, that was on the last day of school.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of the movies I saw in theater when it first released with my dad. I have very fond memories of this movie because of that
I'm so glad you have that good memory with your dad! lol I can remember seeing Bambi with my dad and him ripping me out of the theatre because I started screaming when the forest caught on fire. I was like 3, that was horrifying! lol
Frollo was a clergyman in the book. He wasn't married. He tried to be holier than thou because he had an errant brother and wanted to be a "good example" to him. He was a complex person that wanted to be good and chaste and follow god (reasons why he took Quasi in) but he was a man of his time. His feelings (lust) for Esmeralda were him being human. The true villain of the book, for me, as that Phoebus-- the creep! And yes, I know, I know, you're making this up from the movie alone but it would've been nice to have a bit from the book in your theory
I always thought Frollo was just married to his job and wasn't interested in anyone until Esmeralda came into his life, plus I remember some made a broadway version of it and in that version, Frollo was the arch decon and he had a brother who preferred to hang out with the Romanis and have fun rather than church duties and the brother later died from the plage along with his Roma wife, but not before leaving behind their son, Quasimoto. So perhaps something similar happened in the movie and Frollo blames them for what happened to his brother. BTW he lusted for Esmeralda not love, cuz if you love someone you would not burn down all of Paris to get in her panties. Edit: They are called Romas or Romanis, not Gypsies. The people thought they came from Egypt when they were actually from India also its directory so I stopped calling them Gypsies and instead Romanis.
The thing is that Frollo's past and character were never explained in the movie. Not even in the non-cartoon ones. If you really want to know Frollo's "origin", you'll have to read Victor Hugo's book. It is the only source in which it's explained. Anyways, the thing with Frollo has not to do with his past or origin as much as with his character's development and evolution. Frollo is extremely complex as a character, and that is exactly what makes him so realistic in the novel. Why is Frollo not married in the movie? Because he was never married in the book. And why is that? Because HE IS THE ARCHDEACON in the book. Besides, he is exaggeratedly evil in the movie. He was not that bad in the novel. In fact, he was not bad at all in his young days, and not even exactly bad afterwards either. They completely changed his character in the Disney movie. What really happens to Frollo (in the book) is that he feels desperately attracted to Esmeralda, to the point of becoming obsessed with her. As he is a cleric, he obviously can't do anything about it, so he becomes deeply frustrated. This issue becomes such a big problem that he adopts an extreme possessive attitude toward her, "If she can't be mine, she'll be of no one". This mixture of obsession and frustration does not disappear. He cannot endure, so it leads him into madness... And here's when he prefers to have Esmeralda executed rather than seeing her with Phoebus (I forgot to mention his jealousy about this).
1:13 actually, if you read the book, Frollo was the archdeacon of the Notre Dame, Disney just changed that for the movie (maybe to avoid offending Christians? Idk)
Even as a child, I recognized Frollo's misogyny, self-righteousness, single-mindedness, and bigotry. I knew that he viewed Esmeralda as a symbol of hope for the gypsies, and to force her into marriage would be equal to him, conquering the rest of them right along with her. (1/11/2022)
Possible theory: Frollo grew up with an unnatural attraction to gypsies but had his heart broken at a very young age and overtime his resentment towards them grew until he became mad with the power to execute them at will.
Frollo does anything…”STOOOOOP” cried the Archdeacon and all of Paris. I wish Tony Jay was still alive it’s probably one of my favourite actors ever, he did everything to perfection, and his singing was just perfect. I also wonder what his thoughts on Frollo‘s backstory were are they similar to the play? (Which is incidentally, my head canon just there a few additions. The first one is that the woman Frollo murders is Florika who actually didn’t die, but moved on from Jehan (Frollo’s brother who is Quasimodo’s father in the play) was it something else I would really would love to find out, but unfortunately, we will never know but still, Frollo is my favourite role of his.
Also, in the play, Frollo and Jehan were orphaned on the streets of Notre Dame, which to me is part of why Frollo is so cold and they were taken in by an Archdeacon who I like to think is the same Archdeacon from the beginning of the film I like to think of Frollo is actually Younger and just aged badly from all the stress and anger at the time of the beginning of the film. He is in his 50s and The Archdeacon is in his 70s and by the end, The Archdeacon is in his 90s and Frollo is in his 70s and The Archdeacon, who I call David (as a tribute to the late David Ogden Stiers) raised them but of course, Jehan is expelled from the cathedral (as he was in the play) because he was hiding Florika, The Archdeacon in my mind wouldn’t have cared about the group of people she was part of, but rather that Jehan was with a lady after vowing to celibacy, same as the play Frollo blames himself for not be able to heal Jehan from the sickness of the plague but because I think Floirka left he blames Florika for leaving, I think that when he killed her, he realised who she was and how much she meant to his brother, and then he blamed for leaving. He understood that his brother truly loved her so when The Archdeacon tells him to stop trying to drown Quasimodo he agrees because of the guilty feels for trying his brother in this way, and not just because he killed someone (because he’s shown that is perfectly willing to do that) and I also think that him trying to drum Quasimodo was a twisted act of Mercy because he knew the suffering him, and his brother went through, he was The Elder and had to look after his brother, but Quasimodo had no brother, and Frollo was reluctant to raise him because he felt he failed his brother, and couldn’t bear to fail another person, at least that’s my little theory on his backstory. Now, for the reason why, I think you fell for Esmeralda, I think it’s because he was extremely sexually repressed (I think he was a former member of the church but was expelled for extreme beliefs) and he saw Esmeralda as a perfect way to let out his desires, not only did the fact that her people were hated me and that no one would care if anything happened, but I think he also believes that she would’ve left or at least the rest of the people would’ve left, so she would have no one to turn to, I think he had an extreme fetish for her. Now onto the reason why Frollo was single for so long, I think he was single because he was still stuck in the mindset he had when he was in the church, I think that most women weren’t enough for Frollo to break his vows but Esmeralda to him was on another plane of beauty and the found her irresistible, and the dance that she did, was extremely arousing to him, and made him realise what he was missing out on before. Basically, every woman was either afraid of him, or they were after him for his money, and I think Frollo was very high with standards and that he wanted someone who was devoted to him, and not to money or his status, so he turned those ones down, but Esmeralda was just too much. He didn’t care if she may not actually like him, because his head was consumed with fantasies, and for once she made him want to make a move, unlike every other woman, he was also single because he ages horribly (although I don’t think so myself) I think that Frollo is also bisexual, but the reason he never explored the side of men is because of the stigma of the time and the church, I think Frollo good, I have to be more attracted to men but couldn’t explore that. Hence the reason why he didn’t care so much for ladies until Esmeralda.
What if his wife wasn't a gypsy, but was murdered by gypsys in a mugging or robbery? What if Esmeralda remind him of his wife because his wife was a free spirit like her, so he began to project onto her?
Hey, it's pretty cool that you could watch a 13 minute video 7 minutes after it's gone public. You'll have to tell me your speed watching secret sometime lol. 😘
Oh, good! I was hoping someone watching this would remember Miss Spider's Sunny Patch (was that the name? Because reading it here now doesn't sound legit lol). Thanks!
Theirs a video on here of Frollo chasing Esmeralda all through the Disney park that’s a bit creepy as if he’s stalking her but Esmeralda is turning it into a game and laughing thankfully
I suggest watching the Musical. It’s based more on the book, and you’ll see how Frollo and his brother are orphans, and blamed the Gypsies for his brother’s death.
YOU HAVE AN ESMERELDA DOLL?! JUSTICE! Esmerelda will love you for this. Anyway, with following the rules, trying to not have a sin like kill a baby, Frollo may had a obsession ready to come out when Esmerelda appeared, but he didn't want to leave this streak of following God's path.
I think this all came from his childhood actually, maybe he experienced his mother getting beaten by his father? Maybe child abuse? I mean, something could’ve happened in his childhood. Maybe it caused him to walk to plague of sin and hurt-
I really wish Disney would go back to it's "dark" era . I mean the movies were so much fun when villains like frollo existed .
Yeah the darkest Disney/Pixar gets now is to just emotionally wreck people by making toys leave their owners, lol.
Non of those movies brought much money in the beginning tho. It would be a stupid idea from a buisniss point of view to creat more "dark" (I like moody more to describe them) movies when the main audience for toys and stuff are children who don't like those kind of movies.
@@aniflowers1998 yeah from a business point of view movies like frozen 2 are making so much money because it's all pretty and magic but then again none of these movies will be as memorable as the old Disney is .
@@divishagarwal1234 True. Frozen had no reason to be super dark because Frozen is based on a fairy tale while movies like Hunchback of Notre Dame & Lion King were based on dark novels, Shakespearn plays & biblical stories
@@joshualowe959 The old Disney fairy tales had some pretty dark moments in them, (little mermaid, sleeping beauty, snowhite) I really miss those in the new Disney movies.
In the musical he has a brother who runs away with a gypsy who dies of illness after giving birth to Quasimodo.
I've heard bits about the musical, but I've never gotten to see it. I swear, any time Disney on Broadway tours all I see is The Lion King.
uncle of Quasi
@@TheFangirlWatches the musical is on UA-cam, Is top notch
The Fangirl Sadly it never got to Broadway because of Frozen, but you can watch the various bootlegs from different productions here on YT
@@ambiguoussarcasm that's not why it didnt go to Broadway lmao
"You know you're getting a little extreme there when even the Catholic church is like, 'Calm down, buddy.'"
I snorted, not gonna lie. XD
I mean, to be fair, it seems to be pretty hard to tick them off. 😂
@@TheFangirlWatches Especially if they're like the arch deacon from the movie. He was a very underrated character.
Frollo: *enters the waiting room after he died*
In the other room:
God: “no, you take him!”
The devil: “No, YOU take him!”
Yeah that line made me laugh good remark.
Frollo has committed more crimes than any other Disney villain:
1. He kills Quasimodo's mother in front of a church
2. He attempts to drown baby Quasimodo in a well.
3. He imprisons Quasimodo and makes him believe that people would call him a monster
4. Refuses to rescue Quasimodo from being tortured by the crowd
5. Gropes Esmeralda in a church
6. Offered people money to get them to bring Esmeralda to him.
7. Burns down half the city and commits genocide
8. Attempts to unlawfully burn Esmeralda at the stake even though he's a judge
You’re forgetting Mass Murder.
@@MovieEnforcer yep. Frollo has murdered many people
Yeah…that’s a lot.
@@SevenTailedWolf72 AND he threw the Archdeacon down stairs and tried to stab Quasimodo with a sword
Seriously, about the people from whom he hid Quasimodo, Frolo was right. It was only in the fairy-tale world of the cartoon that he could be accepted so easily. In the real Middle Ages, he would have been despised and hated, many would like to do with him like Frolo, namely, to kill him as a spawn of the devil. To be honest, it seems that Frolo is the only person of the real Middle Ages in this fabulous Disney Paris. This is a time of ignorance, xenophobia, cruelty and fanaticism. In the real world, Frolo would be right to hide Quasimodo and prevent the world from seeing him. The hunchback could live his life in peace, living his life day by day, getting an education from Frolo, without the humiliation, contempt and bullying that he would inevitably undergo from this harsh world. In fact, the cartoon should have had many characters like Frolo, because in real life he is not evil, he is a product of his era, the reality and the environment in which he lived made him so and he was far from being a fool and had an idea about how the world works. Frolo was really kind in his own way to Quasimodo and atoned for his guilt by giving him a calm and prosperous life. Otherwise, he would have to drag out his existence on the street, in hunger, cold and humiliation, and his maximum would be to work in the circus as a local freak.
So I think that point 3 is quite justified, and 4 excludes it. Frolo wanted the Hunchback to learn a lesson about what the real world is, because in reality he would have to endure this all the time, and maybe even worse.
I remember him as the first disney villian I was actually scared of. AND THAT MOVIE IS SO UNDERATED
It really is underrated! It's so beautifully animated and handles a number of social issues, but it's so rare that anyone really covers the movie. :(
@@TheFangirlWatches I know its the first movie when the main doesnt need good looks but a good heart ITS MY FAV
This movie is one of those movies that you understand once you grow, sure children can kinda undertand thw general idea but considering the real meaning... i don't think so. Disney used to be pretty fearless.
I don't think Frollo was necessarily IN LOVE with Esmeralda. I think he just viewed her as a sex object. It would make sense since he clearly has 0 respect for the gypsy people and being in love with someone implies that you have some degree of respect for them so he literally only saw her as an object.
What does that have to do with the threoy
@@hannahlarocco4699 Kind of a tangent but I think it can still relate back to the theory. It gives more insight into Frollo’s character I feel.
Exactly. He would had just raped her repeatedly had she chose him.
I feel like that’s true and he just wanted her as like a sex object and trophy wife it was just lust and wanted her for arm candy
Because Frollo was so obsessed with religion, he viewed all physical pleasures as a mortal sin and therefore completely beneath him.
He never married because of that mindset.
However, the reason WHY he was so completely obsessed with religion is the biggest question.
The original Frollo from the book was an orphan, and maybe this Frollo had his parents killed by Gypsy's which explains his hatred of them, and the church raised him after that.
If I remember the book correctly, his parents died of the plague and he had to raise his little brother while working in the church. The church gave him a job and shelter in a desperate time, so I think he felt really thankful
In the book his parents died of the plague. Although I don't believe the story specifies, I'm doubtful that Frollo and his younger brother's parents were peasants. The plague killed millions across Europe, so there would have been many orphans in France and especially in Paris. The church could have only taken in so many, so my guess is that Frollo's father or mother may have been just wealthy or just important enough for Frollo and Jehan to be prioritized over other youngsters in need.
Also since he eventually became highly educated, it's possible that when taken in by the church as a youth (Jehan was still a baby) he may have already known how to read. Literacy rates among anyone outside the clergy or aristocracy were very low at that time, so if that's the case it would add to the argument of his parents having had some education and privilege themselves. I guess only Victor Hugo knew for sure. 😜
Also in the book, Frollo becomes obsessed with alchemy (which in popular view of the era had associations with the occult), and starts doing all those cliche old-timey alchemist things like try to create gold and find the philosopher's stone. The church considered these things forbidden knowledge and an affront to God and nature, so at that point Frollo is just kind of losing his sanity to delusions of grandeur. His story arc reminds me of Rasputin in that way (though Rasputin would have been a young man and an unknown when Hugo died, so any similarities are coincidental).
I think his obsession with her was control. He was obviously very controlling and lusted in his position of power and religious superiority.
He hated the gypsy people and their sinful ways and saw them as not human. He chased and persecuted them and they ran away like Vermont cowering in fear of him.
Until esmeralda who was not only beautiful but also stood her ground in front of him and snapped back.
He went and hunted her down but she called sanctuary and used his own religion as a way to stop him dead in his track.
I think his attraction to her was based on obsession of control and wanting to win the game of cat and mouse and make her submit to him. Either by submitting as a wife and giving up her culture for security, submitting as a woman in bed, or by submitting her life and begging for mercy by fire.
The fact someone he sees beneath him stands up against him and repeatedly evades him probably drives his ego and superiority complex wild and makes him confront his own flaws. He deflects the anger and rage for losing his cool and control on the rest of paris.
And losing his final control over quasi was the last nail in the coffin for him to completely lose it.
The old idea of I want what I can't have.
Fact: esmeralda is 16 and frollo is 66 years old so.....
-_-
Frollo is a pervert.
@@dustinwashburn1283 also the old idea if I can't have her, then no one can.
He's the one time I learned about hellfire and lust! Yay childhood.
Right? Really bizarre, adult issues for a Disney movie. I think that's part of why I love Hunchback so much.
@@TheFangirlWatches Hey could you do a theory about. Hmmm. On a show (The episodes are on UA-cam) Called monster allergy. Because it has a lot of unanswered questions. But please watch the whole show. It's a good one
Me too. I started understanding lust after this movie.
Lol
Watched the movie first time when I was 4, somehow understood everything😀👌
4:00-4:40
Mother Gothel would be the PERFECT wife for Frollo. Both of them teach that the world is dark & cruel & raised people in a tower.
Fact! Crook actually kept quasi in to tower's not one
@@wwelovr29 what did you say???
I think she would be his type too, she has that dark curly hair thing going on he seems to like so much. Someone should hook them up
@@thelouisfanclub Mother Gothel does have dark hair like Esmeralda! Hopefully though Frollo wouldn't lust after Gothel!😁
Now I'm just imagining them in a private room together while Gothel sings Mother Knows Death to dominate and Frollo being all into it. You don't know what you've done to my dirty mind Joshua! 😂
If I am not mistaken, Frollo was a priest in the source material, which are generally required to be unmarried. So perhaps it's as simple as Disney deciding to change his occupation for their version but not bothering to change his marital status?
Alternative theory: he married a gypsy who betrayed him and died in the process. This would explain why he said: "gypsies are incapable of true love" to Quasimodo. If he passionately loved a gypsy who died and she didn't betray him, he likely wouldn't have said that, especially in such an passionate and angry way.
I think he was able to keep pure until he saw emererlda all that sexual frustration mixed with catholic guilt and anger that she would never be with him . Contributed to it . Or maybe he saw gypsy people as seductress and seducer's with is not catholic at all he thought they were all bad and as a result he wanted them gone
So he was backed up?
Besides that, catholics didn’t liked gypsies because they were well known for witchcraft. Also the conflict or tension between races.
It might be possible he was raised in a Christian or rich family most likely been abused or taught at young age that's all got when I watched this character
I would say he's very much a person of decent upbringing. I don't know if he'd be quite to noble level, unless he's the 2nd or 3rd son in the family, but he certainly knows how to command respect through fear, and that's not an easy skill to master. Frollo is one of those guys who walks around like he owns the place and everyone is too afraid to speak up and stop him, lol.
@@TheFangirlWatches
He's almost like Rick Sanchez
@@TheFangirlWatches Second sons in rich families were expected to work around the Church or law, "take Henry VII and Mansfield Park" so, Frollo being the second son of a nobleman and brought up to help the Church and law from birth would work. And he definitely didn't have the best parents, to put it mildly, knowing how abused children can pass on their mistreatment to their own.
R.IP Tony Jay. An amazing voice actor who will be deeply missed
He was the voice of my youth and I'm not sure when, or if, anyone else will be able to fill his shoes.
The scary part of Frollo is that there are people like him and in society
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Frollo’s brother, Jehan from the book.
There, his parents died of plague leaving Frollo to care for his younger brother when he was still very young. Frollo was a workaholic and never had a childhood of his own. He studied 7 different languages, and several subjects like law, theology, math, medicine, and even Alchemy-- a subject which folks didn’t approve of and called him a witch.
Now why would he put all his time and effort into learning all that? I think he was trying to find a cure for the plague with the priests and plague doctors. Since he found their version of medicine obsolete.
Meanwhile with Jehan, Jehan grew spoiled. Frollo loved him, but grew frustrated at how Jehan constantly begged him for money. Money he’d spend on whoring, drinking, and gambling. Things which Frollo wasn’t fond of. When Frollo took in Quasi he made sure to be stricter with him and more humble so he wouldn’t repeat his mistakes.
Now this is where things are left to people’s own takes. The Book version had Jehan killed by Quasimodo during the siege of Notre Dame and got his skull smashed in. Frollo was devastated.
But since that clearly didn’t happen in the Disney version. I personally think Jehan was murdered by a gypsy. There are comics where Frollo had a confirmed Nephew, Eric Frollo who ran away due to Frollo’s controlling behavior. (Taking a note from the musical version) Jehan met a gypsy whore, Florika and intended to make her his wife. Frollo was repulsed- seeing as she tried to hit on him ON HIS BIRTHDAY! But there was another who lived Florika too. Sarousch, his face was disfigured into a permanent smile so he couldn’t win Florika over. Once he found out she was carrying Jehan’s twins- Eric and Madeline, he gutted Jehan and stole his daughter and ruined her face.
Frollo was horrified. The one family member he had left was murdered. He couldn’t find the man who killed him but swore to kill all the Gypsies until all his problems were solved. He abandoned his studies in alchemy now believing the Gypsies were the ones who started the plague (Much like what happened to the Jews). He lusted after Esmeralda because she had the 1 thing he didn’t have. Love.
I have the book in my reading list can’t wait to read.
a regular comic or a disney comic?
Frollo chose to remain celebate. He says so in his song hellfire: "beatta Maria, you know i am a righteous man. Of my VIRTUE I am justly proud".
I wasn't really a fan of this movie, but I've always thought Frollo was one of the best Disney villains ever made. The fact that he burned all of paris to find Esmeralda was terrifying to me, and Hell fire is one of the best Disney villain songs ever
AND, keep in mind that he BLAMED Esmeralda for burning the city down while he was wrongfully hunting her. So, some real next level screwed up!
In a play where frollo's character was expanded on, it was because he blamed a gypsy for the death of his brother (and in the play frollo was Quasimodo's uncle). I just wanted to mention this.
Frolla was part of the religious establishment that hated Esmerelda's people. He's a top tier villain.
Facts
That can definitely play a huge factor in what shaped his mind. But it is REALLY peculiar that he became so obsessive about Esmeralda if she and all of her people were so far "beneath" him. He's seen other women like her before, on a daily basis from some of the things he says, but SHE became his focus. *shudder*
@@TheFangirlWatches this is my second favorite Disney movie next to Mulan
Can you imagine if Judge Claude Frollo & Mother Gothel had a child together.....
Imagine Frollo trying to convince Gothel that the church bells won't wake the baby😂
I think its more likely that if this was true, the gypsy girl he was in love with was an object of desire for him and she reciprocated for a while and then moved on to a different town or something and he felt completely betrayed and that sent him into a downward spiral of saying that gypsys 'arent capable of real love' and he felt the need to get rid of ALL of them, because that phrase would imply that he felt betrayed when he felt carnally for a gypsy in the past, and she reciprocated for a while but then dropped him.
I really was terrified of Frollo. He truly thoughts his actions were "good" yet in all truth they weren't. We've had actual people of history (Hitler, Stalin Kim Jon-Un) who thought this exact same way & thought their actions were "good". It's scary to think ab when it's actually taken place. There r real people out in this world that acts like this to this day. It's pretty terrifying
And Saddam
HUSSEIN!🇮🇶
@@maridethbridges4587 yeah him too
I always believed that if Disney did a live action version of Hunchback, I always believed that Alan Rickman was the guy to play him. R.I.P.
Tony Jay also voiced Rex Smythe-Higgins the first in Hey Arnold.
Personally, I find it weird to picture Frollo ever being married. I honestly think that he just grew up with a racist and very strict religious family. Like the very thought of accidentally lusting after a woman might have scared from ever having a dating life so he doesn't go to heck (*shrugs*). To me, what Frollo feeling isn't love, that's straight-up lust. I think Frollo just hates Esmerelda all the more for "seducing" him. Like he's had so many impure thoughts of her that in is mind marrying her is the only way of cleansing and redeeming his soul (though not sure if that sounds crazy though). If he read his Bible like a good, Christian boy, he would know that instead of blaming the woman for his lustful thoughts, he should gouge his own eyes out in. But you know how it is is in the 1400s, men always blaming women for their own problems. Just look at Henry the 8th (not exactly the 1400s anymore when he married each one of his wives, but close enough XD).
Though, with my own explanation, I suppose it would be easier to just say he was married to someone like Esmerelda once. XD
People like Frollo have existed and that’s why he’s one of the scariest villains as we can’t take comfort in his actions being impossible
Frollo is by far one of my favorite villains in Disney next to Maleficant (what can I say? Purple is my favorite color), what I find the most interesting about him is that he’s one of the few villains who doesn’t have magical powers that is actually terrifying. Not mention Hellfire is one of the best villain songs ever, during a time when Disney was willing to take a risk. Him being married actually makes sense on why he was obsessed with Esmerelda, because she reminds him of his dead wife and wanted to replace her to fill the void she left behind. But when it comes to wanting to eradicate the Gypsies is because he blames them for her death. It’s kinda sad, but that doesn’t give him an excuse for the cruel actions on innocent people both Gypsy and Nongypsy (as you said).
Frollo is also the only Disney Villain I can think of who didn't have some blatant flaw that could be exploited. I mean, Frollo had faults and flaws as a person, be in general he was so very resolved and stoic that was no chance of defeating him - he WAS power and oppression. Had he not fallen off Notre Dame, he wouldn't have been stopped imo.
Disney's most human and realistic villain! The fact that he's so complex and that world has had a history of highly misguided religious zealots. Is what makes Frollo relatable and terrifying.
A joker-esque prequel movie focusing on frollo’s upbringing/ early days as a public official would be such a good watch!
At least in the book, Frollo was the arch-deacon. That meant a life of servitude. A life without a wife or husband or any kind of relationship like that. That'll mess with a person's mind a lot.
For me he's terrifying because he's a human, he isn't a magical being or a demon, he's a human just like us and people like him exist out there!
There’s also the stage production story where his brother lived with the gypsies and had a son (Quasimodo) with one. He then died because of his lifestyle and Frollo took care of him. He then took out his revenge on hating the gypsies.
He wanted her because she was something his religious views told him he could never have something he had never had because he was religious and celibate maybe, she represented that plus the freedoms of a life not bound to the service of a god as he felt his was?
I like where you are going with this, though there is another possibility that could have worked. What if Claude's wife, or fiance, ran off with to be with a male gypsy? That would make his pursuit of the gypsies more personal. We can see he can torture and murder without much regret. Maybe he pursued her and killed her and her lover then pushed himself deeper into the church to show how faithful he was.
I haven’t watched you in like 2 years but as soon as I saw this, god I’ve never clicked faster
I always figured Frollo was SUPER sexually repressed and saw sex = sinful, hence why he was so eager to jump down the slippery slope the second he started feeling lust.
And one aspect of the Gypsy Hate stems from the distinction of Settled vs Nomadic people, specifically the cultural standards of ownership of property and the definition of theft.
To a nomad, your.property is what you can use and carry. So they see nothing wrong with taking anything not nailed down if they need it.
And if they can pull it up with a prybar, it wasn't nailed down.
Hence the "thieves" vs "not thieves" debate.
At least, that's what I had it explained as.
Honestly think it's just a lust thing. Lust is one of the deadly sins and the beginning scene shows that he is worried about committing another sin.
If I hadn't watched the Theatre Play or known of the book, I wouldn't fill in Frollo's own villainy. (he wasn't, but he was tragic as hell)
Made it to the end! I never really thought about why Frollo did what he did, but I really do think you’re right. As a writer and bookworm myself I also agree that villains need to be three dimensional and do my best to make my villains three dimensional.
I remember Mark Hammil in an interview once, and he said the best villains are the ones who really believe what they're doing is right. I 100% see Frollo in that, and I think that helps to make him so scary. All the other Disney Villains seem to be well aware that they're up to something nefarious, but Frollo has convinced himself that it's the right thing because it's his will.
I love the angle that you took the cause of pirollos behavior. But I may be looking too deep into it, in his song Hellfire there was a line but he said of my virtue I am justly proud. I took that to believe that he's a virgin. And when Esmeralda dared to get close enough to touch him, it sparked something in him that he'd had never felt before.
Only 6 minutes into the video loving it so far.
Man, I loved Frollo! He is my all time favorite Disney villain! Awesome video!
In the book, Frollo is someone who never really had the chance to live his teenage milestones, so at 35, he still had the social skills of an autistic teenager, and the responsibility to care for two people on top of his duties as archdeacon.
I think if Disney's Frollo is anything like that, it might be an explanation.
Also, I don't think that Frollo's interest in Esmeralda is purely sexual, as any pretty woman would do, and people rarely have lustful feelings towards only a single person, and rarely is it so obsessive. I think it might there is something about his psyche that longs for this kind of cheerfulness about life.
"fun" fact: pickpockets are still a big problem in France, as well as some other European countries. One lifted a copy of my passport (that i was keeping in a friend's bag) at the Louvre. Luckily it was just a copy. But ~ yeah. "Gypsy" (referring to the stereotype and not the Roma people) culture is quite prevalent. You also see street performers all over, which is the upside :)
Also, it's not unheard of for racists to develop a crush on someone of the ethnic group they're racist against. I actually knew someone who was racist against Hispanics yet he also fetishized Hispanic girls o.o Guess it's part of the "love and hate are closer than one might think" theory 🤷
Wait...people being hanged in the 1400s for being gay? You sure it was hanging? Maybe it was just to peasants or people who were exclusively having homosexual relations? Because secret boy toys were very common among nobles. It was basically a priest situation where no one would need to say anything but it could be assumed that many have touched little boys :v
If you're trying to go for a possible motive on his part, I'd go with that his nonRoma wife became ill soon after some Roma came into town. When she died he blamed them for doing witchcraft and that spread to all Roma. Or something like that. I don't know....if his wife was Roma then I don't think he'd hate all Roma...unless other Roma were against their union or something
Being gay was punishable by jail time and forced labor just the last century in England, so yeah it’s not that hard to believe being gay was punishable by death many centuries ago, and even now in many counties.
@@1000-i7d Sodomy was illegal..it had less to due with homosexuality and more to do with "sex should only be for reproductive purposes". So masturbation was also a crime. And, from what I know, death wasn't the first punishment they went for. They did that for people who openly preached sex for nonreproductive purposes or otherwise spoke out against that law. Not saying it's a good law (and sodomy is actually one there's still a law against even today although not enforced) but context and details are keys to understanding. Before Christianity, homosexuality wasn't even the word "homosexual" nor "heterosexual" until the mid to late 1800s because it wasn't a thing that was given much thought. It was common for people to fool around with both, especially for ones of the same sex to be younger (older men loved having their boytoys in particular). When Christianity/Catholicism became a thing that slowly started becoming an underground thing, something people kept to themselves. Once it was in full swing, sex became a big taboo, especially when it wasn't for reproductive purposed. Really, it seems like the demonisation of sex is what lead to homosexual persecution. Meanwhile, women who masturbated were accused of witchcraft :v You know, riding those broomsticks ;)
Moira Menzelli so,,, homosexual people were persecuted,, like i genuinely have no idea what point you’re trying to make,, homosexuality was still illegal and homosexual people were killed? Like it doesn’t change a thing if it was for sodomy or something else, people still died lmao
@@1000-i7d Don't know what I'm trying to say? It's literally in the first sentance...
Again, facts do matter, as does context. At that time it wasn't illegal to be homosexual. People were not charged with "being gay". They were chraged with "sadomy" or for a charge having to due with wasting potential life. It was ejaculate inside a woman's vagina or not at all. (and obviously they didn't think women could ejaculate :v) Was more like "if you don't cum inside a woman, then you're killing babies". Homosexuality specifically becoming illegal was later on.
P.S. This will be the last I'll respond to you because I can tell that you're stubborn and likely wanting to keep thinking your own way since you think you're correct. I doubt you even gave my comments a thorough read.
Hi, when I was a toured Europe my dad's wallet got stolen in Rome, my passport got stolen (thankfully I realised it instantly and I chased those kids) again in Rome. Many more attempts in Paris. Why is this so prevalent in Europe?
P.S in the original Hellfire song Esmeralda was supposed to be naked in the fire but Disney luckily toned it down
Uhhh, according to living Roma people the word g*psy is a slur. I'm not an expert but yeah.... Other wise a really interesting video!
I absolutely love this movie! It’s so good and it has a darkness to it that is still kid friendly. My favourite version of the story though is definitely the french musical because it has awesome songs and my favourite character is in it.
Fun fact, Claude Frollo has a nephew in one of the comics, his name is Eric.
I guess the better reason is given in the book: he is just very very very catholic. He can't have this sexual feelings for a woman, specially a herege one. Of course, in the book, he is a priest not a judge, but in the movie, he is still a very religious person (that's the main reason he didn't kill Quasimodo when he was a baby, he fears for his soul). Esmeralda isn't baptized, she isn't christian. She is a "witch", a "demon", someone who uses dark forces to make him have these "impure thoughts". So he hates her, but he still wants her. I don't think he has any kind of love for her, it's purely sexual, and it's terrifying for him.
I'm so glad you didn't give up on Disney, or animated films in general! I'm 28 and will likely never ditch supposed "kids movies" like Disney fare!
I always liked the idea of his mother having been a gypsy his father married and she ran off after he was born or something bad happened to her and out of bitterness or resentment for running off Frollo's dad told him how evil and wicked gypsy were so the bias and racism was forced on him from a young age. And emeralda reminds him of his mother who he hates and loves at the same time. Maybe the idea that if he could "save" esmeraldas soul he'd save his mother's soul. I always thought that was a kind of compelling backstory
I always liked his voice acting as Sher Con from Talespin.
I miss Tony Jay as well 😢 he started as a radio star before movie to tv and movies. I first heard him in Legacy of Kain where he played the Elder God. Such an amazing voice!!
The musical has Frollo's hatred of gypsies stemming from his own brothers fall from grace. His brother married a gypsy girl and died, saddling him with a disformed nephew.
I know this video's old, I just wanted to chime in since I didn't see any comments on it that "g*psy" is actually a racial slur toward the Romani people (some use Roma but it's moreso used in political contexts. Variations exist and Romani folks tend to use what's comfortable in their local region.) It originated from people thinking they'd come from Egypt instead of Nothern India, and while some Romani organizations have taken back the term, the use of the term in relation to the Romani people as well as "being g*pped" should be taken into account when discussing this movie and other stuff that involves Romani characters, cultures, and stereotypes. Like it's not any reviewer's fault that the movie used the slur, and just giving a heads up that it'll be used in discussion is better than nothing (but I'm not one to be the judge) In modern times we can all choose how we talk about characters like Esmeralda in everyday, casual conversations. Just figured I'd give a history lesson since I always see people use the term casually when discussing HoND and a lot of folks just were never taught anything about these cool folks beyond fortuneteller stereotypes and HoND.
So Frollo does get a back story in the Hunchback of Norte Dame musical. It never made it to broadway but if you search for it on here, there are a couple of videos that show the whole musical. It does explain his hatred of Esmeralda and her people but it also humanizes him a bit more since Frollo in the movie is probably the most evil Disney villain, at least from my knowledge of Disney villains.
Oh yes, I would agree that Frollo is the most frightening villain because his resolve was so concrete, he had no motives to explain his actions, and there was no stopping him or changing his mind because he WAS power. If he hadn't fallen, he would have won.
Thank you for making a video on this it was really interesting for me
I'm so happy you liked it Brian, thanks for coming!
Im here early and frollo is one of my favs
He is so scary for me! But I love this movie so he defaults into being one of my favorites too lol.
I love your videos Meghan. We would DEFINITELY be BFF's. And as for the Gypsies thing, have you ever seen Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa?
Hunchback of Notre Dame is a Disney movie no one rarely talks about but should.
you called frolo a wido but he's a widower
I always get the widow and fiancee terminology mixed up. I hate when terms aren't gender neutral lol.
@@TheFangirlWatches why?why do you hate that?
William Evans because it’s annoying😅
I think this was the second and third Disney Movie Rewards I first saw and I still love it
I know, 24 years later and it's still my favorite Disney movie.
Excellent review, you've mentioned very good points I never knew or considered! Please analyze Esmeralda next!❤ you have a new subscriber!
Plus if his wife died in childbirth, taking their child with her, that kind of heartbreak would probably cause him to be that much more callous to Quasi, thinking about the child he lost. The child that God took away from him.
Cool idea. Would devenitely be interesting!
Though I don't know if I would go as far as asuming his wife was a gypsi, but maybe she got killed by one in some sort of accident? Maybe similar to how Quasimodos mother died. The gypsi tried to rob her, she fell and cracked her head open. I think something like that would give him more reason to hate gypsis, and it doesn't rule out the posibility that Esmeralda might look similar to his dead wife.
This reminds me of the book (I think, it's actually been decades since I read it...). If I recall right, Quasimodo was actually switched with Esmeralda at birth, so it's almost like a political commentary of how you can't tell the different groups apart to even know if you're persecuting your own people.
@@TheFangirlWatches oh, sounds interesting! Maybe I should read the book!
Don't take this is as me dissing your theory cause I actually can see that I just have a counter argument, sometimes people just suck, sometimes there's no sad backstory or rhyme or reason for they're behavior trust me I've met plenty of people that were total assholes for no good reason
Fangirl you an absolute sweetheart
OMG YOUR SINGING IS AMAZINGGG
how about he had a wife who died during childbirth the baby survived frollo gave up the baby and abandened it gypsys took on the baby that baby was esmerelda when she grows up frollo sees his wife and cant tell the difference between his daughter and his wife due to his pent up anger and thats why he tries to marry her hoping it would help him be happy again
The Gypsy wife theory is more logical and would make a good canon sad backstory for frollo
I love him as a villain because like Gustan he can easily manipulate people to his side.
I got my own theory. People treat Sex like a unholy thing now? Think about back then. I think Frollo had never experience sexual attraction that's why When Esmeralda came in he fell so quickly and didn't know how to handle it. He probably was taught to repress such "Unholy feelings" that came with attraction which made him emotionally unhealthy. Since no one thought its a natural part of a human being to have such feelings Frollo thought it was a horrible sin, the song Hellfire describing his feelings perfectly. So basically he's a guy who hates the fact that he's horny and blames Esmeralda from making him feel this way like a spoiled man child with the power he has.
That is so true.
I remember that in elementary school we actually watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame because it was the teacher's favorite movie. Btw, that was on the last day of school.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of the movies I saw in theater when it first released with my dad. I have very fond memories of this movie because of that
I'm so glad you have that good memory with your dad! lol I can remember seeing Bambi with my dad and him ripping me out of the theatre because I started screaming when the forest caught on fire. I was like 3, that was horrifying! lol
@@TheFangirlWatches Understandable! LOL
Frollo was a clergyman in the book. He wasn't married. He tried to be holier than thou because he had an errant brother and wanted to be a "good example" to him. He was a complex person that wanted to be good and chaste and follow god (reasons why he took Quasi in) but he was a man of his time. His feelings (lust) for Esmeralda were him being human. The true villain of the book, for me, as that Phoebus-- the creep! And yes, I know, I know, you're making this up from the movie alone but it would've been nice to have a bit from the book in your theory
I always thought Frollo was just married to his job and wasn't interested in anyone until Esmeralda came into his life, plus I remember some made a broadway version of it and in that version, Frollo was the arch decon and he had a brother who preferred to hang out with the Romanis and have fun rather than church duties and the brother later died from the plage along with his Roma wife, but not before leaving behind their son, Quasimoto. So perhaps something similar happened in the movie and Frollo blames them for what happened to his brother. BTW he lusted for Esmeralda not love, cuz if you love someone you would not burn down all of Paris to get in her panties.
Edit: They are called Romas or Romanis, not Gypsies. The people thought they came from Egypt when they were actually from India also its directory so I stopped calling them Gypsies and instead Romanis.
You are going to have these songs stuck in my head all night now lol...made it to the end like always.
If I’m not getting Disney songs stuck in people’s heads - what am I even doing with my life?! lol
@@TheFangirlWatches truth...you always speak the facts 😆 🤣 😂
8:45 Tony Jay also played Lieutenant the super mutant from Fallout 1.
He had so many great roles! I miss his voice so much. T_T
@@TheFangirlWatches Yeah, you should check out clips of Lieutenant. He's a pretty diabolical character.
It so weird
I just watched hunchback for the first time in 6 years this morning at 6:67
so ironic
Anyway love your videos
Are we psychically linked?! Whoah!
@@TheFangirlWatches *Gasp*
Are we
:0
(Btw love your singing voice
I like it this theory it definitely makes me think differently about him wow I really feel like watching this movie again
You should, it is still so well drawn and written!
The thing is that Frollo's past and character were never explained in the movie. Not even in the non-cartoon ones.
If you really want to know Frollo's "origin", you'll have to read Victor Hugo's book. It is the only source in which it's explained.
Anyways, the thing with Frollo has not to do with his past or origin as much as with his character's development and evolution. Frollo is extremely complex as a character, and that is exactly what makes him so realistic in the novel.
Why is Frollo not married in the movie? Because he was never married in the book. And why is that? Because HE IS THE ARCHDEACON in the book. Besides, he is exaggeratedly evil in the movie. He was not that bad in the novel. In fact, he was not bad at all in his young days, and not even exactly bad afterwards either. They completely changed his character in the Disney movie.
What really happens to Frollo (in the book) is that he feels desperately attracted to Esmeralda, to the point of becoming obsessed with her. As he is a cleric, he obviously can't do anything about it, so he becomes deeply frustrated. This issue becomes such a big problem that he adopts an extreme possessive attitude toward her, "If she can't be mine, she'll be of no one". This mixture of obsession and frustration does not disappear. He cannot endure, so it leads him into madness... And here's when he prefers to have Esmeralda executed rather than seeing her with Phoebus (I forgot to mention his jealousy about this).
Maybe a loved one of his died in the hands of gypsys, that would explain why he hates them so much and is trying eradicate them.
Please watch the Broadway musical. It’s here on UA-cam
1:13 actually, if you read the book, Frollo was the archdeacon of the Notre Dame, Disney just changed that for the movie (maybe to avoid offending Christians? Idk)
Even as a child, I recognized Frollo's misogyny, self-righteousness, single-mindedness, and bigotry. I knew that he viewed Esmeralda as a symbol of hope for the gypsies, and to force her into marriage would be equal to him, conquering the rest of them right along with her. (1/11/2022)
I don't think Follo was married to a gypsy but he did got his heart broken by 1
Possible theory: Frollo grew up with an unnatural attraction to gypsies but had his heart broken at a very young age and overtime his resentment towards them grew until he became mad with the power to execute them at will.
Frollo does anything…”STOOOOOP” cried the Archdeacon and all of Paris.
I wish Tony Jay was still alive it’s probably one of my favourite actors ever, he did everything to perfection, and his singing was just perfect. I also wonder what his thoughts on Frollo‘s backstory were are they similar to the play? (Which is incidentally, my head canon just there a few additions. The first one is that the woman Frollo murders is Florika who actually didn’t die, but moved on from Jehan (Frollo’s brother who is Quasimodo’s father in the play) was it something else I would really would love to find out, but unfortunately, we will never know but still, Frollo is my favourite role of his.
Also, in the play, Frollo and Jehan were orphaned on the streets of Notre Dame, which to me is part of why Frollo is so cold and they were taken in by an Archdeacon who I like to think is the same Archdeacon from the beginning of the film I like to think of Frollo is actually Younger and just aged badly from all the stress and anger at the time of the beginning of the film. He is in his 50s and The Archdeacon is in his 70s and by the end, The Archdeacon is in his 90s and Frollo is in his 70s and The Archdeacon, who I call David (as a tribute to the late David Ogden Stiers) raised them but of course, Jehan is expelled from the cathedral (as he was in the play) because he was hiding Florika, The Archdeacon in my mind wouldn’t have cared about the group of people she was part of, but rather that Jehan was with a lady after vowing to celibacy, same as the play Frollo blames himself for not be able to heal Jehan from the sickness of the plague but because I think Floirka left he blames Florika for leaving, I think that when he killed her, he realised who she was and how much she meant to his brother, and then he blamed for leaving. He understood that his brother truly loved her so when The Archdeacon tells him to stop trying to drown Quasimodo he agrees because of the guilty feels for trying his brother in this way, and not just because he killed someone (because he’s shown that is perfectly willing to do that) and I also think that him trying to drum Quasimodo was a twisted act of Mercy because he knew the suffering him, and his brother went through, he was The Elder and had to look after his brother, but Quasimodo had no brother, and Frollo was reluctant to raise him because he felt he failed his brother, and couldn’t bear to fail another person, at least that’s my little theory on his backstory.
Now, for the reason why, I think you fell for Esmeralda, I think it’s because he was extremely sexually repressed (I think he was a former member of the church but was expelled for extreme beliefs) and he saw Esmeralda as a perfect way to let out his desires, not only did the fact that her people were hated me and that no one would care if anything happened, but I think he also believes that she would’ve left or at least the rest of the people would’ve left, so she would have no one to turn to, I think he had an extreme fetish for her.
Now onto the reason why Frollo was single for so long, I think he was single because he was still stuck in the mindset he had when he was in the church, I think that most women weren’t enough for Frollo to break his vows but Esmeralda to him was on another plane of beauty and the found her irresistible, and the dance that she did, was extremely arousing to him, and made him realise what he was missing out on before. Basically, every woman was either afraid of him, or they were after him for his money, and I think Frollo was very high with standards and that he wanted someone who was devoted to him, and not to money or his status, so he turned those ones down, but Esmeralda was just too much. He didn’t care if she may not actually like him, because his head was consumed with fantasies, and for once she made him want to make a move, unlike every other woman, he was also single because he ages horribly (although I don’t think so myself) I think that Frollo is also bisexual, but the reason he never explored the side of men is because of the stigma of the time and the church, I think Frollo good, I have to be more attracted to men but couldn’t explore that. Hence the reason why he didn’t care so much for ladies until Esmeralda.
I love this video
I love this vid! He’s one of fav villains!
In the Broadway they show that quasi is follo's nefew. His brother was in love and married a gypsy. They got the plage and died.
What if his wife wasn't a gypsy, but was murdered by gypsys in a mugging or robbery? What if Esmeralda remind him of his wife because his wife was a free spirit like her, so he began to project onto her?
The version of HitN I read told the origin of Esmeralda, she’s kidnapped as a toddler in Paris and wasn’t really an Egyptian.
Grate video I watched the whole thing
Hey, it's pretty cool that you could watch a 13 minute video 7 minutes after it's gone public. You'll have to tell me your speed watching secret sometime lol. 😘
The Fangirl lol I m just built different I guess grate vid tho 😂
Spidarous is the characters name
And he worked with tim curry on the mighty ducks cartoon
Oh, good! I was hoping someone watching this would remember Miss Spider's Sunny Patch (was that the name? Because reading it here now doesn't sound legit lol). Thanks!
@@TheFangirlWatches yes thatd the name and your welcome
Theirs a video on here of Frollo chasing Esmeralda all through the Disney park that’s a bit creepy as if he’s stalking her but Esmeralda is turning it into a game and laughing thankfully
I always just assumed he was a total pervert, and he was abusing his power to bend rules for himself.
I suggest watching the Musical. It’s based more on the book, and you’ll see how Frollo and his brother are orphans, and blamed the Gypsies for his brother’s death.
In the original novel, Frollo was the Arch Deacon.
YOU HAVE AN ESMERELDA DOLL?!
JUSTICE! Esmerelda will love you for this.
Anyway, with following the rules, trying to not have a sin like kill a baby, Frollo may had a obsession ready to come out when Esmerelda appeared, but he didn't want to leave this streak of following God's path.
People are saying that he was cursed by Esmerleda idk if I spelled that right.
I think this all came from his childhood actually, maybe he experienced his mother getting beaten by his father? Maybe child abuse? I mean, something could’ve happened in his childhood. Maybe it caused him to walk to plague of sin and hurt-