What was Frollo's problem?

[withheld]

During the whole movie (Hunchback of Notre Dame), he was acting like a jerk and it was never
properly explained (at least to me) what was wrong with him.

 

[The Disney Movie Review]

Great question. Frollo is a "representative" of the religious establishment. He views himself as righteous and above people (qypsys), even above the church at some points. He punishes people for their sins and yet, he wrestles with the exact same demons as evidenced in "hell fire." Sometimes the thing you hate the most is actually something you secretly love. That's why he is willing to burn down Paris for Esmeralda. He "hates" her because he is ashamed to desire her. Kinda deep for a kids movie, but that's why it had so much controversy when it first came out.

 

[BrianL]

Yes, it's an inner struggle of his church doctrine vs. his lust for Esmerelda. The general distaste for the gypsies comes from the fact that they were the minority group that was easily blamed for all the city's problems. As an authority figure he used that prejudice to control the populace. He's obviously a really messed up guy, one of Disney's most tortured villains.

 

[old lady]

He was a hypocrite and probably didn't even believe in God but his own justice.

 

[withheld]

During his last moments, he had a look that, to me, indicated he was a madman. Had he won, what would have he done? Would he have gone
back to his stoic self or had he totally lost it by that point?

 

[Newsies]

A little more backstory to Frollo is provided in the original text and the Hunchback musical that appeared at the La Jolla and Paper Mill Playhouses this year. This isn't movie canon, but since it appears in the Disney musical, I guess it's Disney canon to some extent?

A very dumbed-down, condensed version is that Frollo and his brother Jean were orphans taken in by Notre Dame. While they lived in the church, Frollo loved Jean very much but feared God more. One night Jean brought home a gypsy girl and hid her but Frollo exposed her to the priest anyway, which got Jean kicked out. Frollo didn't see Jean for years, then got word that he was sick and dying so he went to a hospital and it turns out Jean and the gypsy woman had a child. As Jean dies he asks Frollo to take care of his son. This son is Quasimodo. So in the musical (and presumably the text), his resentment for gypsies (which got his brother kicked out of the church and died) and Quasimodo (a reminder of Jean) is explained a little more.

Here's the opening scene from the musical:

 

[La Stilla]

Yes, it's an inner struggle of his church doctrine vs. his lust for Esmerelda. The general distaste for the gypsies comes from the fact that they were the minority group that was easily blamed for all the city's problems. As an authority figure he used that prejudice to control the populace. He's obviously a really messed up guy, one of Disney's most tortured villains.

If not the most!

 

[zeferjen]

I freaking love when zombie threads come back to life!