Who Claude Frollo is
Claude Frollo is a learned priest whose life centers on Notre-Dame in medieval Paris. He studies many subjects, practices alchemy, and believes that learning and discipline can protect him from desire.
His care for others is part of his history, alongside his stern authority. He takes in the abandoned Quasimodo and also supports his younger brother Jehan, who drains his money.
What Claude Frollo wants
When Frollo sees Esmeralda dance, his fascination unsettles the life he has built around study and prayer. He cannot stop thinking about her, yet he blames her rather than admitting the fault lies within himself.
His desire becomes dangerous because it joins jealousy, pride and a habit of control. He orders Quasimodo to seize Esmeralda, turning the bell ringer's unquestioning loyalty toward an act of violence.
Claude Frollo and the others in the story
Quasimodo obeys Frollo as the man who rescued and raised him, communicating with him through signs. Yet when Quasimodo suffers public punishment after the attempted kidnapping, Frollo turns away instead of helping.
Esmeralda's affection for Phoebus feeds Frollo's jealousy, and he begins to follow her. His relationships expose the gap between his respected position and the harm his desires cause.
Questions
Who is Claude Frollo?
Claude Frollo is the archdeacon of Notre-Dame, a stern scholar and the priest who raises Quasimodo.
Is Claude Frollo Quasimodo's father?
Frollo raises Quasimodo after taking him in as an abandoned baby, rather than being his birth father.
Is Claude Frollo a villain?
Frollo does cruel and dangerous things, but Hugo does not present him as a simple villain. His earlier kindness and his awareness of breaking his vows sit beside jealousy and a desire for control.