Claude Frollo (Disney)
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| Judge Claude Frollo | |
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| First appearance | The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) |
| Created by | Victor Hugo |
| Voiced by | Tony Jay (English) Jean Piat (French) Klausjürgen Wussow (German) Constantino Romero (Spanish) Eros Pagni (Italian) Takeshi Kusaka (Japanese) |
| Also known as | |
Judge Claude Frollo is a fictional character, the main villain from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as adapted from Claude Frollo in Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. His voice was provided by the late Tony Jay, who had been chosen for the role based on his brief appearance as Monsieur D'Arque in Beauty and the Beast.
Frollo is the minister of justice of Paris, France. He holds an intense hatred of the gypsy population, expressing a desire to terminate their entire race. In the film, Frollo murders Quasimodo's mother and reluctantly becomes his adoptive father, attempting to raise him to despise the gypsies. Frollo's life becomes complicated when he falls in love with Esmeralda, a gypsy dancer whom Frollo believes to be an evil witch.
This version of Frollo is considerably different from the character featured in Hugo's novel; in the film, Frollo is a violent, hateful man with little to no regard for humanity, while Hugo presented the character as a far more sympathetic, complicated man. Despite the character's alteration, his villainous qualities, which include racism, lust and religious bigotry, remained quite mature for a children's film. Frollo is often thought of as one of the most evil Disney villains despite his lack of powers that other villains such as Maleficent and Jafar have.
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[edit] Fictional biography
Claude Frollo resides in Paris, France, where he is employed as a Court Judge. A deeply religious man, Frollo uses his position to inflict great suffering upon the gypsy population, believing them to "live outside the natural order" and engage in "heathen" behavior. One night, a group of gypsies attempt to enter Paris, only to be stopped by Frollo and his soldiers. When one of the gypsy women attempts to flee, Frollo pursues and eventually kills her on the steps of Notre Dame, only to realize she was the mother of a hideously deformed infant child. Frollo attempts to murder the infant but is stopped by the Archdeacon, who convinces him that, in order to save his soul from eternal damnation, Frollo must raise the child as his own son.
Naming the child Quasimodo, Frollo raises him within the towers of Notre Dame, attempting to "protect" him from the human world. Despite Frollo's strict discipline and religious guidance, Quasimodo remains an optimistic, free-spirited child over the next twenty years. During this time, Frollo has continued to gain power within the city, imprisoning, torturing and killing gypsies while convincing the public of their "evil" behavior. Prior to attending the annual Festival of Fools, Frollo encounters Captain Phoebus, a well-meaning soldier who is assigned the task of locating the infamous Court of Miracles, which the gypsies have taken as their official hiding place.
While attending the festival, Frollo discovers a gypsy dancer named Esmeralda, who simultaneously attracts and disgusts Frollo with her beauty; shortly afterwards, Quasimodo is revealed to have fled the tower and joined the festivities, only to be crowned the King of Fools and publicly humiliated. As the townspeople mock Quasimodo, Frollo refuses to help and is disgusted when a defiant Esmeralda assists him instead. Esmeralda then ridicules and humiliates Frollo before escaping into Notre Dame, while a furious Frollo silently scolds Quasimodo.
Esmeralda claims sanctuary within the cathedral, although Frollo remains watchful of her behavior. That evening, Frollo is disturbed by his attraction for Esmeralda, believing a relationship with a gypsy will result in his eternal damnation. Unbeknown to Frollo, Quasimodo allows Esmeralda to escape the cathedral, and Frollo begins raiding villages in search of her. Frollo later attempts to murder an innocent family, but a disgusted Phoebus intervenes and rescues them; Frollo declares Phoebus a traitor and attempts to execute him, but he is eventually rescued by Esmeralda.
Realizing Quasimodo assisted Esmeralda, Frollo convinces him that the Court of Miracles has been found and will eventually be attacked; a misled Quasimodo follows Phoebus to the Court, where Frollo's army attacks and arrests the gypsies. Frollo then sentences her to execution while Quasimodo remains locked in the bell tower. She refuses to become Frollo's mistress and is prepared to burn to death, but Quasimodo escapes, rescues her and brings her to the cathedral. Frollo's men then attack Notre Dame, engaging in a violent battle against the townspeople and Quasimodo, who sends stones from the tower and eventually fills the street with molten lead.
After defying the Archdeacon, Frollo attempts to murder Quasimodo, ensuing in a violent struggle in which Quasimodo overpowers the villain, and informs him that despite all the lies Frollo has told him, he knows that the only thing dark about the world is people like Frollo. Esmeralda awakens, and Quasimodo rushes her to safety. Frollo chases him and Esmeralda onto a balcony overlooking the city, engaging in yet another fight with Quasimodo. He eventually confesses to Quasimodo that his mother did not abandon him and that he never saved his life but rather killed his mother, and for trying to save him from Frollo[clarify] and that he was going to carry out his true intentions, by throwing him on the edge of the balcony, with Frollo dangeling below for his life. But he is soon able to climb on a statue in perfect position to kill them. As Frollo is finally able to murder the duo, the demonic gargoyle he is standing on crumbles beneath his feet. Frollo grabs onto it and the figurehead seems to come to life before him, glowing with fiery eyes. The gargoyle crumbles off the cathedral and sends a wailing Frollo to his fiery death below.
[edit] Other appearances
- Frollo appears in the Disney's Hollywood Studios nighttime show Fantasmic as one of the main villains called on by the Evil Queen to fight Mickey Mouse. He is defeated along with the other villains in the show's conclusion.
- Frollo makes appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the daily Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade.
- Frollo also appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a meetable character.
- He makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the House of Mouse special House of Villains. At one time, he was sitting with the Mad Hatter, but he had no dialogue. He also appeared sitting near the two outraged guests, but still no dialogue.
- He is also a character in the Walt Disney World annual Halloween-themed fireworks show HalloWishes.
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
- Frollo in the Disney Archives-Villains.
