Disability in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
On May 18, 2023, Legacy Theater Company presents Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Musical. Over the next few days, we thought it would be fun to go through the history of this epic story, how it came to the stage, and what lessons we can look for and learn as we watch the story unfold on the stage.
Disability is a prominent theme in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Its title character, Quasimodo, hearing impaired, facially different, and humpbacked, is best understood within the context of medieval beliefs about disability. The concept of disability as a category of impairment did not exist in medieval times as we know it today; however, the medieval lexicon did contain words to describe specific physical conditions, such as blynde, deaf, dumbe (lacking oral speech), hunchbacked, lame, and crippled.
Those with physical differences within the population were more generally referred to as the infirm (including the aged), the debilitated, and/or the impotent (those rendered powerless in social and economic position). Thus, the play provides an interesting lens through which to consider medieval responses to disability as well as connections to present-day disability beliefs and assumptions.
The Middle Ages: An Era of Ridicule
The Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place in 1482, the time of The Middle Ages.
Public ridicule of persons with disabilities is widely documented as having occurred during the Middle Ages. Perhaps most symbolic of medieval cruelty toward the disabled is the “idiot cage,” suspended in town squares where crowds gathered to view people with disabilities. The “idiot cage” also might have served as a civic means for keeping persons with disabilities from ”making trouble” in society.
Cruelty as a response to disability is embodied within the play’s namesake, who is given the name Quasimodo, meaning “half-formed.”
In the play, Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame and Quasimodo’s uncle, forbids his nephew to leave the safety of Notre Dame for his own protection. Consistent with historical documentation of medieval cruelty toward the disabled, Frollo explains to Quasimodo that the public would revile him as a monster because he is “ugly” and “deformed.”
Quasimodo later defies Frollo and ventures outside to join the crowd of bawdy revelers celebrating the annual Feast of Fools, a mock religious procession in which commoners gleefully upend the dignity and solemnity of the Church and select a King of Fools to preside over festivities. Upon laying eyes on Quasimodo, the revelers become frenzied about having found the ugliest face in Paris to serve as their “king”. They shout and jeer, holding down Quasimodo and tearing off his clothes to view his naked and hairy humpback. Terrified and confused by the incident, Quasimodo laments the truth of Frollo’s warning.
Medieval Religious Understanding & Response to Disability
Christianity dominated the lives of peasants and nobility alike during the Middle Ages. In some Judeo-Christian tradition, disability at birth was understood to be a sign of parental sin and evidence of God’s displeasure. Moreover, disability was linked with sin in the common belief that people with disabilities, particularly those with epilepsy or mental illness, were possessed by the devil.
This belief appears in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in a verbal exchange between Frollo and his dying brother, Jehan. Frollo is surprised to learn that his brother has an infant son who will be orphaned upon his death. In response to seeing the baby’s face, Frollo, a medieval priest, calls the baby a monster and tells Jehan that the baby is God’s judgment upon him for his sins.
Despite their understanding of disability resulting from sin, the medieval Church also practiced New Testament teachings of charity toward the disabled. In the play, Frollo demonstrates this by taking in his brother’s orphaned child to live within the confines of Notre Dame.
An argument can be made that Frollo abused Quasimodo by keeping him locked away in Notre Dame; away from public eye. But an argument can also be made that Frollo saved Quasimodo and kept him safe. When looking at their story through the context of the historical period, Quasimodo was an orphan. Most people would not let a child with his level of disability live. And yet, Frollo embraced the child as his own, protected him from the vile mob of people wanting to hurt him, and gave him the only life he could provide considering the time.
What Makes A Monster? What Make A Man?
It is a question that is asked throughout the musical. Is Frollo a monster or a man for keeping Quasimodo hidden in Notre Dame. Is Quasimodo a monster or a man for because he doesn’t look like societies definition of beautiful?
These are questions that we all have to wrestle with as we come to this production and see it through the lens of the time period it was set as well as our own time.
Michael Arden as Quasimodo at La Jolla Playhouse.
Making Connections to Disability Today
Disability, as depicted within The Hunchback of Notre Dame, appears far removed from modern society’s response to disability. Today we have laws to protect the rights of the disabled, free public education programs, public programs that assist persons with disabilities toward achieving independence at home and work, and medical advancements that have lessened the effects of disability. Yet, if we look beneath the surface, vestiges of medieval ideas about disability can be detected within our own era.
We may no longer have “idiot cages” in our public squares, but we have Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and social media. Here, people are ridiculed for their disabilities, made fun of for not looking like societies standards, and bullied into subjegation. We carry our own “idiot cages” in our back pockets.
In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, we see numerous instances of Quasimodo being mocked and bullied because
of his disability. Today, it is estimated that eight out of ten children with disabilities are targets of bullying in school. The most common method is the use of disability insults and attacks on social media.
A Question To End
When we treat persons with disabilities differently because of their disabilities, exclude persons because of their disabilities, or use disability insults, we might ask ourselves how different our disability beliefs really are from those held during medieval times.
We might ask ourselves, “Am I the monster? Or am I the human?”
Hunchback at Legacy Theater
And now, Legacy Theater Company poses the riddle, “What makes a monster and what makes a man” to our community as we present The Hunchback of Notre Dame to our community. With 18 players all playing various roles, this production is an invitation to experience true beauty, deep thought, and a potentially life-changing moment.
We cannot wait for you to join us. 🔔
Written By: Erika Bain & Jan Valle. Jan is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at The City College of New York (CUNY), is a disability studies scholar and teacher educator.
She is the author of three academic texts on disability as well as numerous academic journal articles and book chapters.
