Captain Phoebus
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Capitaine Phœbus de Châteaupers [febysdəʃɑtopɛːʁ] is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, Notre-Dame de Paris. He is the Captain of King Louis XI's Archers. His name comes from Phoebus, the Greek god of the sun (also called Apollo).
In the novel
In the original novel, Phoebus is an antagonist. Despite being of noble birth and very handsome, he is also vain, untrustworthy, and a womaniser. He saves Esmeralda from Quasimodo and she falls in love with him. Phoebus makes a convincing show of returning her affections, but merely wants a night of passion. Esmeralda arranges to meet Phoebus and tells him of her love for him, and he convinces her that he feels the same way about her. He is in fact engaged to his cousin, Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier, a spiteful socialite who is jealous of Esmeralda's beauty. Not only that, he has agreed to let Archdeacon Claude Frollo spy on his meeting with Esmeralda.
This decision proves his undoing, since as the couple flirts, Frollo attacks Phoebus and stabs him. Frollo makes a quick get-away and Phoebus is presumed dead, with Esmeralda, being the only one present, presumed to be the killer. Phoebus, however, is not dead and soon recovers from his injury. But this does not stop Esmeralda from being tried and sentenced to death for attempted murder and witchcraft. Phoebus has the power to prove her innocence, but he remains silent for fear of having his infidelity exposed. In the end of the novel, he marries Fleur-de-Lys, and watches Esmeralda's execution with apparently little or no remorse. While Phoebus is one of the few characters to survive in the novel, he does not escape punishment entirely, as Hugo implies that his marriage will not be a happy or romantic one.
Adaptations
Most adaptations change Phoebus into a more positive character, sometimes even the primary love interest of Esmeralda. Among the actors who have played Phoebus over the years in each adaptation of the novel are:
| Actor | Version |
|---|---|
| René Alexandre | 1911 film |
| Herbert Heyes | The Darling of Paris (1917 film) |
| Arthur Kingsley | Esmeralda (1922 film) |
| Norman Kerry | 1923 film |
| Alan Marshal | 1939 film |
| Jean Danet | 1956 film |
| Alexander Davion | 1966 TV series |
| Richard Morant | 1977 TV film |
| Robert Powell | 1982 TV film |
| Benedick Blythe | 1997 TV film |
| Patrick Fiori | 1997-2002 musical |
| Vincent Elbaz | 1999 parody film |
| Steve Balsamo | 2000 musical - Original London Cast |
| Joseph Kloska (voice) | 2008 BBC Radio adaptation |
| Andrew Samonsky | 2014 musical |
| Will Griffith | 2017 musical |
Disney version
- Phoebus appears in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), voiced by Kevin Kline. This version is the captain of Frollo's guard. He becomes fond of Esmeralda, such as complimenting her for fighting as well as a man, and the two fall in love. In the sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002), Phoebus and Esmeralda have a young son, Zephyr.
- Phoebus appears in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, voiced by Phil LaMarr in English and Souma Suzuki in Japanese.
- Phoebus makes a cameo appearance in Once Upon a Studio.
External links
- at SparkNotes
- Rebello, Stephen. The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) ISBN0-7868-6208-4