Notre-Dame de Paris (1999 Musical - Act II)

Act II: Frollo and Gringoire discuss the events and scientific discoveries taking place and how some of them (such as Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press and Martin Luther’s doctrines) are changing the world forever ("Florence"). Gringoire notices how silent the cathedral is and Frollo tells him that Quasimodo has not rung the bells for three days.

Up in the bell tower, Quasimodo recounts how the cathedral bells are his only friends and loves ("Les cloches"), especially the three "Maries": "Little Marie" which is rung for children's funerals, "Big Marie" which is rung when ships set sail and "Great Marie" which is rung for weddings. His greatest hope is that they will ring for Esméralda to hear that he loves her.

Frollo asks Gringoire where his "wife" is ("Ou est Elle?"); Gringoire says he does not know and answers obliquely (but he tells Clopin, who has been searching for Esmeralda, that she has been imprisoned in the prison of La Sainte and that she will be hanged if Clopin doesn't save her).

In her cell, Esmeralda compares herself to a caged bird and calls to Quasimodo to save her, while back at Notre Dame Quasimodo wonders about Esmeralda's disappearance three days earlier and fears for her safety ("Les oiseaux qu'on met en cage"). Clopin and a group of outcasts are arrested and thrown into the La Sainte prison ("Condamnes") as Esmeralda is put on trial for the attempted murder of Phoebus and sorcery with Frollo as presiding judge ("Le procès" / "La torture"); when she refuses to confess, she is subjected to a foot-crushing torture until she cries out "I confess!" Frollo sentences her to death by hanging, but Esmeralda still professes her love for Phoebus and Frollo is left to suffer from the emotional torment of his unrequited passion ("Être prêtre et aimer une femme"). Esmeralda calls Phoebus to save her (“Phoebus”)

Elsewhere, a recovered Phoebus is confronted by Fleur-de-Lys, but he claims as an excuse that he was bewitched by Esmeralda's "sorcery" ("Je reviens vers toi"). Fleur-de-Lys tells him that he will still have her heart and love if he will swear to have Esmeralda executed ("La monture").

At five o'clock in the morning of the execution, Frollo visits Esméralda's cell and to her horror confesses to her that he knifed Phoebus out of love for her ("Visite de Frollo a Esmeralda" / "Un matin tu dansais") and offers her a choice: death on the gallows or life by giving him love. When Esmeralda rejects his advances, he tries to rape her, but Quasimodo (who has secretly followed him) frees Clopin and the other prisoners. Clopin attacks Frollo, knocking him unconscious, and releases Esméralda and they flee the prison to Notre Dame for sanctuary ("Liberes").

Gringoire sings to the moon ("Lune") in which he describes Quasimodo's pain and suffering because of his love for Esméralda.

Quasimodo leaves Esmeralda asleep in a safe place in Notre Dame ("Je te laisse un sifflet"), but bitterly reflects that while he will love her forever, his ugliness will ensure that she will never love him ("Dieu que le monde est injuste"). Alone, Esmeralda hopes that she will survive for the man she loves and sings about how Love has the power to change the world even should she die ("Vivre").

With Clopin and his people occupying Notre Dame, Frollo orders Phoebus and his men to break sanctuary and attack the cathedral to drive them out ("L’Attaque de Notre Dame"). Clopin and his people resist bravely but are no match for the armed soldiers, and in the first attack Clopin is fatally wounded. Dying, he begs Esmeralda to take his place as leader. The final battle has Esmeralda and her people facing off against Phoebus and his soldiers, but the result is a foregone conclusion – Esmeralda is captured and the outcasts defeated. Phoebus coldbloodedly hands Esmeralda over to be executed, orders the outcasts driven out of Paris ("Déportés") and leaves with Fleur-de-Lys.

Quasimodo, searching Notre Dame for Esmeralda, finds Frollo standing at the top of one of the towers and begs him to help Esmeralda ("Mon maitre, mon sauveur"). Frollo, finally driven insane, shows him the sight of Esmeralda being hanged and to Quasimodo's horror announces that he is responsible. As he laughs wildly, the enraged Quasimodo seizes him and hurls him down the stairs of the tower to his death. As the executioners are cutting down Esmeralda's body from the gibbet, Quasimodo appears and demands that they give him her body ("Donnez-la moi"). Driving them away, he kneels beside her body and mourns her, promising to stay with her and that even in death they will not be parted ("Danse, mon Esmeralda").

After the curtain call, Gringoire leads the cast in a reprise of "Le temps des cathédrales".