The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Frollo is obsessed with fate. He carves it into the wall of the private office where he practices alchemy in secret. This obsession is a matter of ego. Frollo may be modest in a priestly sense: He lives within his means and tries to help others, such as Quasimodo, Jehan, and Gringoire. However, in pursuit of intellectual nourishment, he pushes the boundaries of what might be considered moral, to the point that rumors swirl through Paris that he is practicing witchcraft in his secret office. Frollo denies himself physical pleasures not as a matter of morality but because he considers himself an intellect who is above such matters. Thus, his attraction to Esmeralda horrifies him. The idea that he could be tempted by so base a pleasure, from someone whom society has relegated to its fringes, is severely damaging to the way he views himself, so he seeks an explanation. Frollo obsesses over fate because he desperately needs to believe in a power greater than himself, a fatalistic force that is manipulating him. He cannot consider himself as weak as other people. He cannot feel as though he is tempted by the same lusts that affect others, since he considers himself above them.