Belle (Is The Only Word)

The song 'Belle (Is The Only Word)' from the musical 'Notre Dame De Paris' is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the intense and conflicting emotions that three men—Quasimodo, Frollo, and Phoebus—feel for the gypsy girl, Esmeralda. Each character's verse reveals a different facet of their obsession, painting a complex picture of love, lust, and moral struggle.

Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame, sees Esmeralda as a free spirit, a 'free bird trying out her wings to fly away.' His love for her is pure yet tormented, as he acknowledges the hellish torment her beauty brings to his soul. He is willing to defy divine law, pleading with Lucifer to let him 'run my fingers through her hair.' His love is both reverent and desperate, highlighting his internal conflict between his devotion to Notre Dame and his earthly desires.

Frollo, the archdeacon, views Esmeralda through a lens of sin and damnation. He believes she has a 'demon inside her who came from hell,' turning his eyes away from God. His verse is filled with religious imagery, comparing Esmeralda to Eve and her beauty to a sin that he is ashamed to admit. Frollo's struggle is deeply rooted in his faith, making his desire for Esmeralda a blasphemous act that he cannot reconcile with his religious duties.

Phoebus, the captain of the guard, sees Esmeralda as a paradox. Despite her allure, he believes she may be 'more pure than words can tell.' His desire is more carnal, as he wishes to be unfaithful to his fiancée, Fleur-de-lys, just once. Phoebus's verse captures the tension between societal expectations and personal desires, as he is willing to 'let the devil take me whole' to be with Esmeralda.

Together, these perspectives create a rich tapestry of human emotion, exploring themes of forbidden love, moral conflict, and the power of beauty to captivate and destroy. The song is a poignant reminder of the complexities of human desire and the lengths to which people will go to attain what they cannot have.