Why Disney's Frollo is Too Evil (Hunchback of Notre Dame Analysis) 

Shout out to that guy who coughed through every scene of that musical.

Why is there a large crowd of people lining up at my door asking for money

“Why does he hate Gypsies in the movie?” Idk man he’s French it ain’t that much of a stretch

"The kind of evil that doesn't realize that it's evil, is the worst kind of evil there is." - Weather Report -

Drowing a baby in a well would also contaminate the water supply. So evil.

Frollo : *stabs Phoebus* Also Frollo : Why would Esmeralda do this?

You call it "too evil", I call it "historically accurate".

As a Catholic myself, what I love about the religious aspect of this movie is how instead of looking to god and asking for help and forgiveness, he looks at everyone else and uses paper thin logic to explain how this is their fault or even god’s fault for making him feel this way. A textbook narcissist who can’t have an arc because he refuses to change and looks at himself as god.

In the original, Frollo and the Archdeacon are the same character, disney essentially split all of Frollo's positive aspects away and turned them into a separate character.

If that's him "resisting her", I'd hate to see him NOT "resisting her".

"Villain who has no flaws" Uh excuse you, Tamatoa can't flip over when he's on his back, I'd say that's a pretty big flaw.

Heaven's light vs Hell fire. I love that they literallyade their songs opposites to show the effect she had on them, showing their true intentions.

Actually, Disney *Intentionally* made Frollo as evil as possible to get rid of the "Evil is Cool" stereotype

Fun fact about Frollo: The Disney executives intentionally made Frollo as evil as possible because they wanted to remove stereotype and saying that "Evil is cool" among Disney Villains

There are many people in real life even today who hate Romani people for no reason. Just because he doesn’t have a reason to hate them doesn’t mean it’s unrealistic for him to hate them

After watching this, I realize this could actually be a Disney movie that could actually _use_ a remake, if they take after the stage musical adaption.

Fun fact: I went to a showing of this musical and Quasimodo's actor was actually deaf! He would sign the lyrics to songs while one of the gargoyles would sing for him. It was awesome

PS: in the novel, Esmeralda is 15 years old, kind of naive, and absolutely infatuated with Phoebus who tries to take advantage of her sexually

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.

I *have* read the book. I'll clear up some things as I go. First, Quasimodo wasn't related to Frolo in the book. In the book, someone abandoned him as a baby on the steps of the cathedral and all of the nuns wanted to kill him, but Frolo took him in. This put a wedge between him and many other members of the clergy because they thought the child was a demon and Frolo had made a contract with it by taking it in. Frolo had this driving need to help people, even at risk to himself in the book, so this was in keeping with his character. He at one point even went so far as to risk infection during the Black Plague to help comfort and heal the sick - as much as they could heal for the time period, anyway. Frolo had no problem with gypsies in the book, as far as I recall, that was a change made in the book's first film adaptation that just kinda stuck. In the book, his real personality flaw was gynophobia. Not sexism, actual gynophobia - he was terrified of women and the idea of being with them. It was more than just religious fervor, because he would be actively combative with the nuns and other women that worked in and around the cathedral. His conflict with Esmeralda wasn't because she was a gypsy, but because she was a woman, but he used the fact that she was a gypsy and gypsies were disliked by the populace to stir up hostility towards her in the community. And it all was just because he happened to look out the window and see her and think, "oh, she's kinda hot." That thought created a kind of cognitive dissonance in him that he couldn't resolve and at first he just tried to drive her away, but when none of his attempts worked, he tried more aggressive strategies, getting more and more insane over time until he tries to kill her. His descent into madness is a huge tragedy in the book, because he ends up getting not just himself, but everyone he cares about killed as a part of his obsession. And it was all so needless. All he had to do was let it go, but he couldn't do it. "Frolo still has his 'a lesson needs to be learned' bit." Also different in the book. In the book, Frolo isn't even there. Quasimodo gets arrested by the police for trying to help Frolo kidnap Esmeralda, but when he sees the police coming, Frolo ditches Quasimodo and leaves him to take the blame alone, never going to see him on the pillory because he doesn't want to implicate himself. I can't remember if Frolo felt bad about this, or if he was too far gone at that point, because the novel is a bit non-linear with how it reveals Frolo's whole story and I can't remember the exact order of events. I think this might have been the moment that Frolo starts to go over the edge, though; letting his adoptive child take the fall for him is the first really serious thing he does (before it was just harassment) and I think that's what drives Frolo into the notion that he's damned himself and thus convinces himself that he deserves Esmeralda because - in his rationale - she tempted him into evil, so she owes it to him. Yeah, the book is pretty on point about the way men like him think about women. In the book, Esmeralda does claim sanctuary in the Cathedral, but not from Frolo. At least, not directly. She flees the police because they believe she murdered Pheobus, when it was actually Frolo who stabbed Phoebus and then framed her for the murder, hoping she'd get sent to prison and not be around town anymore. Phoebus, for the record doesn't die, but they still go after her for attempted murder. And that's the point where Frolo just straight up attempts to rape her and is stopped by Quasimodo. That's the final breaking point, because that's the moment where Frolo realizes he's jealous of Qausi and is like, "Welp, I'm a lost cause, might as well just go scorched Earth on everybody."

Frollo: *starts singing HELLFIRE* Notre dame cathedral: *sweats intensively*

Here's my stance: Disney Frollo is a better villain, but Novel/Play Frollo is a better character.

I like how Frollos character in the musical offers an explanation for Quasimodo’s personality. One small thing that always irked me in the movie was how nice and kind and normal Quasimodo acted. Being raised by frollo who was neglectful and manipulative at best as well as being in constant isolation should have absolutely fudged him up. He shouldn’t have been able to hold a conversation, much less be a functioning member of society. With frollo actually being somewhat ‘nice’ in the musical, it makes a lot more sense in that regard.

I completely disagree. Making Frollo evil from the very start and showing him progressively get worse just hammers home the fact that these types of people are never self-aware of how wicked they are. Making a villain sympathetic doesn't automatically make them complex and I really wish that type of thinking would die. Frollo was 3 dimensional because of how realistic his portrayal was. He's so convinced he's right that he fails to see how wrong he is. This results in him committing almost every sin by the end of the movie despite constantly emphasizing his righteousness. And even with how deplorable Frollo's actions are. He still feels human due to his mindset very much being prevalent in real people. I agree that the theatre adoption of him was great. But I very much prefer the movie Frollo. Him being their evilest villain is why so many people give the movie praise. Adding on to why I disagree that he was too evil. Other than that, great video. It's nice to see your take on him.

*Did I miss a character?* My strange brain: yes,the goat

Anyone: Twist Schafrillas: T H A T W A S H I S M I S T A K E

In the book, Frollo isn't a bad guy at the start, It's a gifted orphan sacrificing himself for his younger brother. He becomes corrupt through his obsession of Esmeralda.

Fun fact, they changed the golden rule in school, it’s now “treat others how they want to be treated” probably due to the jokes of “what if we want to be treated poorly?”

"I jUsT wAnT sOmEoNe tO tAlK aBOuT mUsIcAlS wITh fOr 5 hOuRs" I'm honestly right here. don't make this harder than it needs to be

“Movie Frollo never T-poses!” *Shows only clip of movie Frollo T-posing*

Frollo wasn’t “too evil” for the movie, he was just a lot more visibly evil. The hypocrisy and his self-righteousness is still there, but the movie made his evil intentions a lot more visible because it’s advertised to kids and also because they didn’t have the time to flesh out his character

"Oooo! That's the golden rule!" I personally learned that from Twisted 😌

I just thought I would point out that the "T-Pose" is supposed to be a parallel with the crucifixion. He obviously sees himself as pious and righteous, as well as the sinless one among the crowd. Every time he does something where you question his morals, he parallels the crucifixion with his body language. Just thought I would throw that out there.

When Frollo said “You could stay here, with me” and reached his hand towards hers, my stomach dropped so fast I needed to catch my breath a little

the only thing I fundamentally disagree with is Frollo needing a reason to be racist. Having a neat little reason for the sake of narrative works great for fantasy media with fantasy races (think DnD) but doesn't really work for this story set mostly in real life. Sinti and Roma were historically hated all across europe for being "others". Like how certain racial and ethnic groups were and still are hated all across the world, for no personal reason beyond them being part of those groups. Most people in Nazi Germany didn't have a deeply personal reason to hate the Jewish population. The hate originated in stereotype and discrimination and culminated to a hatred that lead to violence and genocide. It was the same for Sinti and Roma people. So no I don't think Frollo needs a reason for the hatred that was commonplace among people of that time, because it kind of downplays the fact that people don't NEED reasons to be racist. Because there is no rime or reason, no logic to racism as a whole.

The choir was actually one of the main reasons why the show didn't make it to Broadway, because it cost too much money to pay so many actors and the creators didn't want to cut the choir out... So sad

"my child, though your people are lost, there may be something in you that can be saved." did frollo just "you're one of the good ones" esmeralda?

Frollo: *t poses* Me: no wonder why he has God's word

People don't like Frollo because he is complex. They like him because he describes a very real, very twisted form of evil that they have probably seen in their own lives. Hellfire helps us understand how his evil functions, how we can put it into context in our own world, and how he contrasts with Quasimodo. For a 91-minute film, we really don't need to understand the depths of the character, and having him be so spectacularly evil helps the audience understand him better with less time. The ant scene, in particular, works at conveying how his religious convictions don't function out of love for others, but out of his understanding of power. He fears God, because God could squish him like an ant, and he thinks those below him ought to fear him, because he can do the same. It may not be a nuanced take, but it is a profoundly human characteristic that is conveyed in such a small moment.

Frollo is very good in the beginning of the novel. He teaches the deaf Quasimodo sign language and has philosophical discussions with him. Throughout the book, he slowly succumbs to temptation and madness. It's a very sad novel.

_No Cathedral was burned in the making of this video_

"Abusive father figure who shows concern for his son but more for his reputation" That just sounds like Buck from Chicken Little.

I would argue that Frollo in Disney is about as complex as a Disney character can get, given the other factors moving the plot forward, as well as creating and developing the other characters and their relationships. Frollo is straight out evil yes, but what makes him complex in the Disney film is that he twists the ideology of faith into justification of both his actions and hatred for gypsies and his additional desire to eradicate them. Hellfire is great in showing this complexity because not only is he fighting between his faith and belief (and hatred for Gypsies too) and the twisted lust he has for Esmeralda, but between what could be considered his ‘good’ and ‘evil’ consciousness. It is the sole reason for his struggle in that number, he knows what he feels is considered bad and the consequence for giving in to them will result worse for him, but his desire and use of twisted justification makes the argument that they deserves all that he is about to do to them, that *she* deserves it. So it makes for a very interesting character I think.

Holy shit the “this child is my cross to bear” part hit me. The sheer subtle shitheadery in that sentiment is staggeringly realistic. Just look at those certain religious mothers of autistic people, looking at their offspring as a burden that they are obliged to love rather than an actual person. Definitely one of the scariest real life sentiments expressed in a movie.

In Hugo's original book, Frollo is a good caring guy. It's not until Esmeralda arrives that he BEGINS to turn evil, and then is completely evil in the third act Edit: Thanks for the likes, guys :D

5:48 Sometimes you don't need motivations. Back in Europe, Gypsies were widely disliked, you don't need to give specifics in your movie about why they were disliked because sometimes you don't need a reason and it works better in blind hatred.

Since this is from the same guy who wrote Les Miserables, it's not surprising that Frollo, like Javert, was written as the more relatable sort of antagonist who really wants to be the hero of the story but just falls short in some way, instead of just saying, "Hey guys, who's up for some evil?".

Schaffrillas Productions: *makes a Six reference* Me, a theater kid: Y E S

Here's the scariest part though: both versions are just as believable.

And honestly, frollos death in the play was iconic. Frollo: you don’t want to hurt me... All the gargoyles in unison: _yes you do_ Chills every time

I totally agree. The most terrifying villains are the ones that mirror real-life abusers, especially subtle gaslighting that's hidden behind normal kindness.

The musical frollo isn't less evil he's just easier to understand which makes it all the more scary and intense.

In the movie version the Bells of Notre Dame says "Who is the monster and who is the man?" The musical says "What makes a monster, and what makes a man." I think that's the perfect example of the differences between the movie and musical.

Religion is like a knife. In the hands of a chef, it can be a tool for compassion, beauty, and wonder. In the hands of a murderer, it can be a tool for violence, suffering, and division. If someone uses religion to make lives miserable, it’s not necessarily their religion that is making them awful. It’s the way they wield it.

I honestly liked the changes Disney did, they showed how some people use religion to a excuse of their acts, and also, Disney changed not only Frollo but a lot of others things like Quasimodo not being deaf, Esmeralda being pureblood gipsy (while in the book she was adopted by them) and the end. Both can be good, don't need to exist a "better than"

Patrick's performance of Hellfire is very intriguing. He performs as if his attraction and heartache are causing him physical pain. As if...there were an actual fire burning him from the inside. Movie Hellfire is great because, I think it's a representation of his insanity. They're both good performances but I think it depends on what you look for in a villain.

Hell fire is the greatest villain song ever fight me

"I just want to find a girl I can talk to about musicals for 5 hours" BRUH LET'S GET MARRIED

You call it too evil, I call it a perfect chemistry of making a villain. He's a unique Disney villains because while other villains are aware that they themselves are evil, Frollo doesn't see himself as such and believes he's doing God's work. He's also the most lustful of the villains for lusting after Esmeralda. This I feel there will never be a villain like Frollo again. How Frollo was created from his personality to his design, made him 3 dimensional, which I can't say a lot about the Disney villains in the last 10 years. Some times most villains are more interesting than the protagonists.

Frollos a pretty complex character for a kids movie. He's religious, and many western children are raised in some kind of faith. He's a judge, an office we treat with inherent respect. He has a laudable goal, to make Paris a better place, but his means to achieve that are horrific. He's driven by lust against his better judgement and eventually gives in to this temptation, as many of us do, albeit without taking it to such extremes. Most Disney villains just want the vague goal of "more power" (Scar, Jafar, Ursula, Yzma), others want more clear cut but smaller goals (Evil Queen wants beauty, Gaston wants Belle, Cruella wants a coat) and the others are motivated by revenge (Hades, Maleficient, Hook). Frollo starts off hurting people because he thinks the means justify the ends in order to make Paris pure, and his own vices are what bring him down - Phoebus, Quasimodo and the rest of Paris would have let him keep on persecuting the gypsies if he hadn't gone after Esmeralda specifically and burned Paris to get her

"how many times does movie frolo t-pose? 0" *shows frolo t-posing on the ground*

Next video: Why Disney's Tamatoa is too shiny.

I'm late to the party but here some insights: Disney's Frollo is fantastic, but he is a different sort of person, he is a noble in the position refered to as "minister of justice" (not a real title) and hence a judge. The Frollo in the novel is the archdeacon of Notre Dame, he legit takes in Quasi as an abandoned infant and genuinely cares for him. This is where the real tragedy sets in. That child he put so much effort in suddenly becomes an enemy to him because he gets carried away by his lust for Esmeralda who is actually executed at the end. It's here that Frollo stands on the Notre Dame, laughing and giggling, and it's here where Quasi shoves him off the cathedral. I love the disney version, it's fantastic, but it's a different character.

I gotta say, the opening scene with fro-yo murdering a woman ( and almost her baby ) TERRIFIED me as a child. it was scary seeing that caliber of violence straight off the bat and watching as the character who did it had no remorse. it kinda messed me up as a kid. Like damn disney chill with the whole "murdering an innocent person because theyre different" thing, youre gonna traumatize someone.... also the whole bit where fro yo was like "oH nOoO iM gOiNg To heLL iF i DrOwN ThiS bAbY" as if he wasnt going to hell for MURDERING AN INNOCENT WOMAN ( i understand that it was a cultural thing back then and he didnt necesarily view killing what he belived to be a satanic and evil being as a bad thing, he probably thought he was doing God's work at the time)

The reason: He's the most realistic and human of all the Disney villains. Like, most of the villains are magicians, gods, and other fictional beings. There can be, however, real life corrupt religious zealots that have a lot of power. It's also, as I said, realistic, because THOSE TYPES OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY EXISTED AND STILL EXIST, with the Inquisition, the Salem Witch trails, ect. Frollo hits too close to home, to his lustful obsessions paralleling to church members of the past, and some even to this day.

*_After the Notre Dame Cathedral fire incident, I will never watch Hunchback Of Notre Dame the same way ever again._*

It brings to light something I've been saying for years. The most terrifying thing about Slavery, the Holocaust, and any other atrocities you can think of, isn't the fact that they were committed by monsters, it's that they weren't. They were committed by normal people. Any one of us in a similar position could do the same. And that is the most terrifying think I can possibly imagine.

I performed this show in a youth theatre program when I was about 15, I was a gargoyle. I was only in the ensemble, but Hunchback truly was the transition from campy school-play acting into genuine, theatrical acting. The score stretched my range like taffy, and the gargoyle robes were ungodly hot, but I don't know what I wouldn't give to go back and do that performance all over again. I'm glad this show is gaining traction among theatre fans, because by God it deserves it. (Seriously, this musical has the greatest, most chill-inducing entr'acte you will ever hear.)

Wait.... You mean I *can't* trust everyone who T-poses for me?

Notre Dame: *burns down* Claude Frollo: _its free real estate_

Playing a gargoyle was hell on my knees

Disney should adapt The Hunchback of Notre Dame stage musical into a film to serve as its live action remake. Disney isn't afraid to go PG-13 for their remakes, judging from Mulan, so a high budget adaptation of the stage musical into a film would be amazing.

To be fair, the Disney movie _does_ explain why he hates gypsies so much. At the beginning he says they're heathens, meaning they aren't Catholic-born, and indeed many of them weren't. Many of them _didn't_ believe in God, or at least not the Catholic God, and as we all know, that's more than enough to fuel someone's hatred in the Dark Ages. Then later, during the scene with the ants, he explains that they're an "infestation", meaning immegrants. He says they're filthy and destroy France. In other words, Frollo was hugely anti-immigration. And when it comes to Esmeralda, his hatred for her is mired in confusion because he feels an intense sexual desire for her, which he's been raised (via his religion) to believe is a sin. The ultimate sexual frustration. The boner that burned down all of Paris.

I guess you could say that the musical *subverted your expectations??*

A couple years back, Seattle's 5th Avenue theater, had done a production on Hunchback of Notre Dame. And they casted a deaf Quasimodo who did sign language acting, and a voice for him dressed as one of the gargoyles. You can find videos of it. Its amazing 👏

In my high school, I worked backstage for the hunchback. And while listening to it about a hundred times, a theory started to bounce around in my head. What if the entire play was done inside Quasimodo's mind because he had wanted to go outside his entire life. The reason I thought of this is because of how the Quasimodo's first and last scenes were done exactly the same with gargoyles surrounding him, but the only difference was that Esmeralda's body was lying on the ground in the end. I don't know if this was done differently for other showing for other organizations, but this video kinda sparked my love for musical theatre again.

Claude Frollo was much more sympathetic in the book compared to both the movie and the play as he took to Quasimodo with altruistic motivations. We see his struggle with his unruly brother, who constantly asked Frollo for money. In the novel, Frollo found Quasi in a window display in an orphanage and adopted him out of pure empathy, not because he was related to him. He went on to teach him sign language when Notre Dame's bell's ruined Quasi's hearing. But he had this irrational fear of women, which led him to resent/hate Esmerelda while at the same time harbor this obsession with her. This led to his inevitable, violent downfall. He's such a good, Icarus-like villain. I've loved him since the movie and even more so after I read the book years ago. I'm so glad you discovered this version of him!

Hades in the real religion is a good guy with a dog name spot no I'm serious

Look man, when you have Tony Jay on voices, you *_make use of Tony Jay being on voices_* Also you have to take into account that it's also a story being told by Clopin to children, who you could consider to be an unreliable narrator *at best*

My high school did this musical a few years ago in my senior year and I wasn’t part of it directly but I was an usher so I got to watch all the shows for free after getting everyone to their seats A bunch of my friends were in it which was fun One of my best friends at the time was Frollo and he was really good in that role They had a lot of really cool set pieces that the main version didn’t have It’s definitely my favorite musical to watch and the songs all slap

In the book he literally has Esmeralda hung and then is killed by Quasimodo.

You never can have a character too evil as long as they are written properly.

i think that the musical really capitalizes on the line “what makes a monster and what makes a man?” and i LOVE it! it really captures the main idea of the book. i’m so glad someone is talking about this musical, it’s one of my absolute favorites and it doesn’t get enough credit!

"Who is the monster, and who is the man?" At first glance, Quasimodo is the monster and Frollo is the man. But once you've watched the film, it's clear that Frollo is the monster and Quasimodo is the man. A lot of people seem okay at first, but turn out to be horrifying abominations.

I've asked this once I'll ask it twice I'll keep asking untill you notice me PLEASE REVIEW THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE MAN

Frollo was really an amazing villain, both appearance and personality-wise Reminds me of what my Mom told me once, "The Devil does not appear as a scary abomination, It appears as a tempting drink of water." Basically the Devil does not look scary, the Devil sugar coats things. Literally taking form of what we view as a good figure Hence Frollo's character overall. "Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions." - Dr Alan Grant, Jurassic Park III

Something that I love about the stage musical’s version of Hellfire is that I genuinely did not know how it would end. The actor who played Frollo did an AMAZING job convincing the audience of his character’s fear of God’s judgement. During the song, he continually begs God to take Esmeralda away from not, not out of evil hatred of her, but out of genuine fear of temptation. This terrified me because as a Christian myself, I have prayed not-so-different prayers 😅 I have asked God to take temptations away from me (mostly argumentative people and cavity-inducing candies, not sexy women lol). It is only at the end of the song when stage Frollo finally crosses the line to evil: “or else let her be mine and mine alone” “she will be mine or she will burn”. In Hellfire ALONE, he goes through about four stages of character development. That is top notch writing!

So. Movie Frollo: true demon from the start Musical Frollo: human that turns into demon

@EWWFFIX7753 indeed, I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic

“They made him scarier by making him human” Me who wants to write a story with an iconic villain: noted

Movie Frollo was amazing. It was dark and 0-100 very fast, but he also perfectly incapsules the fact that sometimes those who claim to be the most holy are actually the most evil. He was firm in his belief that he was right so much so that it is terrifying, especially as this is a trait that has existed in the world before.

If you look closely in the movie, Frollo has half of the infinity stones on his fingers, that's why he is so evil

"I guess we'll have to give that distinction to a villain with no flaws" Farqua-- "--tAMATOA BABEYY"

Your commentary of this musical is really insightful, I appreciated that you contrasted it with the Disney movie. This is also my favorite musical, so good!

Guys, I don't think this guy knows how much gypsies and the Romani people were despised in Europe throughout its history.

Huh, I always thought Disney's Frollo was loved Because he was pure evil (like Maleficent, The White Queen or the Evil Stepmother), not because people viewed him as complex. Maybe that was just me.

*Notre Dame burns in HBOND* *Notre Dame burns in real life* Quasimodo: tHaT wAs HiS mIsTaKe!

i cant believe schaffarillas wants frollo to be a twist villain, someone clip this

Frollo used to terrify me as a kid. Now as an adult he still terrifies me. He's so real. Knowing what I know of humanity like this story could have happened. A person in power with a penchant for getting his way by any means necessary... It sounds like real life. AND I DON'T LIKE IT!

Esmeralda: h Frollo: *UNHOLY THOUGHTS!*