In the original tale of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Quasimodo betrays Esmerelda by turning her in. Esmerleda is hanged for her crimes and thrown into a mourge. Quasimodo goes in with her corpse and seals the chamber locking him in with her.

In the epilogue, years later, civilians open the chamber to reveal a dead Quasimodo next to a rotting Esmerelda. The civilians lightly touch Quasimodo, but he turns to dust.