Phoebus Quotes in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Phoebus: [to the Parisians] Citizens of Paris! Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our city. And now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?

Phoebus: Esmeralda?

Esmeralda: Shh. Shh. Shh. You'll hide here until you're strong enough to move.

[Esmeralda pulls out a flask]

Phoebus: Great. I could use a drink.

[Esmeralda pours it on his wound, and Phoebus cries out in pain]

Phoebus: Yessssss! Mmmm. Feels like a 1470 Burgundy. Not a good year.

Phoebus: [Upon realizing that Frollo knows where Esmeralda is hiding and that he will attack, Quasimodo feels as though he should help. Phoebus groans from under the table from which he was hidden from Frollo. Once Frollo leaves, he gets out] We'll have to find the Court of Miracles before daybreak. If Frollo gets there first...

[Starts walking, but Quasimodo does not follow; he just looks at Phoebus with the saddened realization that Esmeralda loves Phoebus, not him. Phoebus turns to him]

Phoebus: Are you coming with me?

Quasimodo: [Looks down, still saddened] I can't.

Phoebus: I thought you were Esmeralda's friend.

Quasimodo: Frollo's my master; I can't disobey him again.

[He turns away and grabs his shoulders]

Phoebus: She stood up for you. You've got a funny way of showing gratitude.

[Quasimodo doesn't respond. Phoebus stares disapprovingly at him]

Phoebus: Well, I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo *massacre* innocent people.

[Walks off]

Phoebus: You do what you think is right.

Quasimodo: [He remains silent and then turns to his side. The gargoyles, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne, look at him with disappointment evident in their faces; she speaks softly at first, then snaps] What? What am I supposed to do?

[Frustrated and sarcastic tone]

Quasimodo: Go out there and rescue the *girl* from the - from the jaws of death then the *whole town* will cheer like I'm some kind of a *hero*? She already has her knight-in-shining-armor, and it's *not* me!

[sighs]

Quasimodo: Frollo was right. Frollo was right about everything...

[Looks down; softly]

Quasimodo: and I'm *tired* of trying to be something that I'm not.

[Upon looking down, he catches a glimpse of his hand; he recalls what Esmeralda told him of having "no monster lines." He looks onto the floor and sees the scorched wooden sculpture of Esmeralda that he made which Frollo torched earlier. Finally, he pulls out the amulet she gave him earlier that could lead him to her. He then looks up and realizes how important she was to him and how he is the only one who may know where she is; he just might be able to warn her of Frollo's attack. Laverne taps his shoulder and offers his hooded navy cloak for going outside. He whispers to himself]

Quasimodo: [He hesitantly grabs it and runs off] I must be out of my mind.

Phoebus: [to Esmeralda] Candlelight, privacy, music. Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat.

[after the night with the visions]

Phoebus: Good morning, sir. Are you feeling all right?

Frollo: I had a little trouble with the fireplace.

Phoebus: Speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now.

Quasimodo: What do you mean?

Phoebus: You know, a guard, a booby trap...

[his torchlight promptly goes out, leaving them in darkness]

Phoebus: ...or an ambush.

Phoebus: Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?

Esmeralda: You're lucky. That arrow almost pierced your heart.

Phoebus: [holding her hand to his heart] I'm not so sure it didn't.

Frollo: Look at that disgusting display.

Phoebus: [raising his visor] Yes, sir!

Phoebus: You leave town for a couple of decades and they change everything.

Frollo: The sentence for insubordination is death. Such a pity. You threw away a promising career.

Phoebus: Consider it my highest honor, sir.

Quasimodo: Is this the Court of Miracles?

Phoebus: Offhand, I'd say it's the Court of Ankle-deep Sewage. Must be the old catacombs.

Frollo: The Gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts. And they must be stopped.

Phoebus: I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune-tellers and palm readers?

Frollo: Ah, the real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years I have been "taking care" of the Gypsies...

[squashes ants on the sill]

Frollo: ...one by one. And yet, for all my success, they have thrived.

[lifts block to expose a swarm of bugs]

Frollo: I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles.

Phoebus: What are we going to do about it, sir?

[Frollo smashes the block over the bugs]

Phoebus: You make your point quite vividly, sir.

Phoebus: [about Esmeralda] What a woman!

Phoebus: [as Quasimodo is cruelly humiliated by the crowd] Sir, request permission to stop this cruelty.

Frollo: In a moment, captain. A lesson needs to be learned here.

Frollo: [supervising someone being whipped, just as Phoebus arrives] Stop.

Torturer: Sir?

Frollo: Ease up. Wait between lashes. Otherwise, the old sting will dull him to the new.

Torturer: Yes, sir.

Frollo: [turns to Phoebus] Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Phoebus, home from the wars.

Phoebus: Reporting for duty as ordered, sir.

Frollo: Your service record precedes you, Phoebus. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber.

Phoebus: And you shall have it, sir. I guarantee it.

Frollo: Yes. You know, my last captain of the guards was, um, a bit of a disappointment to me.

[whip crack, followed by screaming]

Frollo: Well, no matter, I'm sure you'll... *whip* my men into shape.

Phoebus: Well, that's a great... tremendous honor, sir.

Quasimodo: Pheobus!

[Pheobus yelps in fright, but Quasi silences him]

Quasimodo: Sh! I'm coming with you.

Phoebus: Glad you changed your mind.

Quasimodo: But I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for her.

Phoebus: You know where she is?

Quasimodo: [presenting Esmeralda's map to Pheobus] No, but she said that this will help us find her.

Phoebus: [holding up Esmerelda's map] Good, good, good. Ahhhh, great. What is it?

Quasimodo: I'm not sure.

Phoebus: [examining the map] Hmm, must be some sort of code. Maybe it's Arabic. No, no, it's not Arabic, maybe it's ancient Greek.

Quasimodo: [remembering Esmeralda's quote] "When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand."

Phoebus: What?

Quasimodo: It's the city!

Phoebus: What're you talking about?

Quasimodo: [pointing out the symbols on the map] It's a map. See? Here's the cathedral, and the river, and this little stone must be...

Phoebus: I've never seen a map that looks like...

Quasimodo: [arguing while Pheobus babbles] Look, *I've* lived up in the bell tower for 20 years, and I think I know what the city looks like from above, and this is it!

Phoebus: [with Quasi] This is not it.

[they both take deep breaths]

Phoebus: All right. Okay. If you say it's a map, fine; it's a map. But if we're going to find Esmeralda, we'll have to work together. Truce?

Quasimodo: Well... okay.

[slaps Pheobus's back; he yelps in pain]

Quasimodo: Sorry.

Phoebus: [as he and Quasi walk away to the Court of Miracles] No, you're not.

Phoebus: [pulling Quasi up onto the balcony after he helps Esmeralda escape Notre Dame] Hi there. I'm looking for the gypsy girl. Have you seen her?

[Quasi jumps onto the balcony, growling at Pheobus like a wild dog, as Pheobus backs away]

Phoebus: Whoa - whoa, whoa, easy!

Quasimodo: [grabs a torch then charges after Pheobus, who is backing away down the stairs; yells defiantly] No soldiers! *Sanctuary*! *Get out*!

Phoebus: Wait! All I want is to...

Quasimodo: *Go*!

Phoebus: I mean her no harm.

Quasimodo: [growls, then waves the torch wildly at Pheobus] Rrrrrrrr... GO!

[Pheobus draws his sword, trapping the torch against the wall, as Quasi lifts him up by the collar]

Phoebus: You tell her for me, that I didn't mean to trap her here.

[Quasi glares menacingly]

Phoebus: But it was the only way I could save her life. Will you tell her that?

[no answer from Quasi]

Phoebus: Will you?

Quasimodo: [snapping] If you go. Now.

Phoebus: I'll go. Now - will you - put me down, please?

Frollo: [after locking in the miller and his family] Burn it.

Phoebus: What?

Frollo: Until it smolders, these people are traitors, and must be made examples of.

Phoebus: With all due respect, sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent.

Frollo: But you were trained to follow orders.

[Phoebus douses his torch]

Frollo: Insolent coward!

Phoebus: [after Quasi releases him from his collar and turns to leave as Quasi watches inquisitively] Oh, and one more thing: tell Esmeralda - she's very lucky.

Quasimodo: Why?

Phoebus: [sheathing his sword] To have a friend like you.

[he leaves]

Phoebus: Achilles, sit!

[horse Achilles sits on the guard's face]

Oafish Guard: [muffled] Oh - whoa, get off me!

Laverne: [to the pigeons] Fly, my pretties! Fly, fly!

[cackles]

Phoebus: I'm sorry sir, she claimed sanctuary. There's nothing I can do.

Frollo: Then drag her outside and...

The Archdeacon: Frollo! You will not touch her!

[addressing Esmeralda]

The Archdeacon: Don't worry. Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church.

Phoebus: [as he and Quasi wade through the catacombs at the Court of Miracles] Cheerful place.

[chuckles]

Phoebus: Kinda makes you wish you got out more often, eh, Quasi?

Quasimodo: Not me. All I want to do is warn Esmeralda then get back to the belltower before I get in any further trouble.

Frollo: Ah, duty calls. Have you ever attended a peasant festival, captain?

Phoebus: Not recently, sir.

Frollo: Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along.

Phoebus: [as the guards chase after Esmerelda and pass behind Phoebus' horse, Achilles] Achilles, sit!

Brutish Guard: Hey - whoa!

Phoebus: Oh - dear, I'm sorry! Naughty horse! Naughty! He's just impossible, really; I can't take him anywhere!

Phoebus: Easy, easy, I just shaved this morning.

Esmeralda: Oh really? You missed a spot.

Phoebus: Alright, alright, just-just-just calm down, just give me a chance to apologize.

Esmeralda: For what?

Phoebus: [kicking her to the floor] That, for example.

Esmeralda: You sneaky, son of a...

Phoebus: Ah-ah-ah! Watch it. We're in a church.

Esmeralda: Are you always this charming, or am I just lucky?

Phoebus: Ah-ah-ah-ah, candlelight! Privacy! Music... can't think of a better place for hand to hand combat... You fight almost as well as a man!

Esmeralda: Funny. I was going to say the same thing about *you*!

Phoebus: That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?

Esmeralda: No. This is.

Phoebus: Touche! Oof!... I didn't know you had a kid.

Esmeralda: He doesn't take kindly to strangers.

Phoebus: [to his horse] Achilles, heel!