Captain Phoebus

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Captain Phoebus
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame character

Phoebus with Esmeralda in an 1837 illustration
Created by

Victor Hugo
Information
Gender Male
Nationality French

Captain Phoebus de Châteaupers is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. He is the Captain of the King's Archers. His name comes from Phoebus, the Greek god of the sun (also called Apollo).

In the novel

In the original novel, Phoebus is an antagonist. Despite being of noble birth and very handsome, he is also vain, untrustworthy, and a womanizer. He saves Esmeralda from Quasimodo and she falls in love with him. Phoebus makes a convincing show of returning her affections, but merely wants a night of passion. Esmeralda arranges to meet Phoebus and tells him of her love for him, and he convinces her that he feels the same way about her. He is in fact engaged to another woman, the spiteful socialite Fleur-De-Lys. Not only that, he has agreed to let Claude Frollo spy on his meeting with Esmeralda. This decision proves his undoing, since as the couple prepare to have sex, the jealous Claude Frollo attacks Phoebus by stabbing him in the back. Frollo makes a quick get-away and Phoebus is presumed dead by homicide. Esmeralda, being the only one present, is presumed to be the killer. Phoebus, however, is not dead and soon recovers from his injury. But this does not stop Esmeralda from being tried and sentenced to death for his murder. Phoebus could have proved her innocence, but he remained silent. In the end of the novel, he marries Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier, and watches Esmeralda's execution with apparently little or no remorse. Whilst being one of the few characters to survive the novel, Hugo hints that Phoebus' marriage will not be happy.

In the Disney film

In the 1996 Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Phoebus' character is considerably different. One of the most notable changes is that he is now a supporting protagonist. Also, his character was merged with the character of Pierre Gringoire. He is voiced by Kevin Kline in both the film and its sequel.

In the movie, Phoebus is a soldier who returns to Paris to be Captain of the Guard under Judge Claude Frollo. His feelings for Esmeralda are shown to be genuine. He first meets Esmeralda when he sees her dancing in the streets, and shows a marked interest in her. During this encounter and a later one at the Festival of Fools, Phoebus demonstrates his investment in Esmeralda's well-being, and not simply in her dancing and beauty, by helping her escape from city authorities both times on his own accord. Notably, his first real encounter with Esmeralda in the cathedral involved an impromptu fight as she initially believes he intends to arrest her— instead he flirts the entire time and they eventually reach a place of discourse.

Additionally, Phoebus in the film is shown to be a man of principle and integrity, as well as a man with a sense of humor. Throughout the movie, Phoebus expresses disdain and disapproval for Frollo's increasingly unjust acts against the gypsies of Paris. It is Frollo's order to burn the home of an innocent miller and his family suspected of harboring gypsies, with the family still inside, which finally prompts Phoebus to rebel against Frollo, cementing Phoebus's "hero" role in opposition of the film's villain. After he is wounded by Frollo's thugs for saving the miller's family and defying Frollo, Esmeralda (who had been watching the events the entire time in hiding) saves Phoebus from drowning when, as a result of his wounds, he falls from his escape horse into the Seine river. She seeks Quasimodo for help and hides him in Notre Dame. He is later arrested by Frollo after he found the Court of Miracles, but manages to escape and rallies the citizens of Paris and French forces against Frollo's tyranny. After they defeat Frollo and his thugs (when Quasimodo poured molten lead into the city to protect the church), Quasimodo gives the two his blessing as a couple.

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Phoebus has a son named Zephyr with Esmeralda as the mother. He still serves as the Captain of the Guard under the new (but unseen) Minister of Justice Frollo's successor who also fought Frollo and his thugs some of Frollo's thugs rejoin the French forces following the death of Frollo, is still a good friend of Quasimodo's, and is the first to suspect Sarousch and his circus troupe of thievery after several people complain to him about being robbed during Sarousch's performance. His belief leads to a temporary rift between himself, Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Zephyr, but when Sarousch's guilt is proven, all is forgiven. In the climax, Phoebus almost allows Sarousch to escape when the thief presents Zephyr as a hostage, but after Quasimodo and Madellaine rescue Zephyr, Phoebus finally takes the chance to order the guards to arrest Sarousch for good.

Aesthetically, Phoebus of the movie differs significantly from most of the animated Disney feature films' leading men. Not a fresh faced youth, as he mentions offhand in the film that he'd not been in town for "a couple decades", though it is possible that he hadn't been in town since early childhood.

Phoebus appears in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance along with a world based on the Disney movie called "La Cité des Cloches". In the game, he plays out the same role as in the film, although he is initially depicted as Frollo's sole enforcer rather than leading Frollo's thugs, who do not appear in the game. In the English version, he is voiced by Phil LaMarr, since Kevin Kline was unable to reprise the role.

Adaptations

Actor Version
Herbert Heyes 1917 Adaptation
Arthur Kingsley 1922 Adaptation
Norman Kerry 1923 Adaptation
Alan Marshal 1939 Adaptation
Jean Danet 1956 Adaptation
Alexander Davion (voice) 1966 Adaptation
Richard Morant 1977 Adaptation
Robert Powell 1982 Adaptation
Kevin Kline (voice) 1996 Disney Adaptation and its direct-to-video sequel
Benedick Blythe The Hunchback (1997 film)
Patrick Fiori 1997-2002, musical
Vincent Elbaz 1999 Parody

References

    Characters
    Films
    Other adaptations
    Parodies
    Disney songs
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