Quasimodo (Peter van Hoof) is a deformed bell ringer whose parent were gypsies and were killed by his adopted father, Claude Frollo. Frollo keeps Quasimodo inside the church tower and never lets his go out. Quasimodo escapes to enjoy the Festival of Fools where he is crowned as the Pope of Fools and is insulted by the crowd at the festival. Esméralda is a young gypsy girl who offers Quasimodo water when he is tied up and is being whipped. Quasimodo falls in love with her. Frollo wants Esméralda but the rules of his religion haunt him. He asks Quasimodo to capture her but Quasimodo instead turns against Frollo and the story unfolds around these characters.