The Life and Works of Rizal

GECLWR-18

A Comparative Study of Noli Me Tangere and

El Filibusterismo

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Biography

II. Noli Me Tangere

Introduction
History
Characters
Summary

III. El Filibusterismo
Introduction
History
Characters
Summary

IV. Comparative Analysis

V. Reflection
VI. References

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 José Rizal, in full José Protasio Rizal Mercado y
Alonso Realonda, (born June 19, 1861, Calamba,
Philippines—died December 30, 1896, Manila), patriot,
physician, and man of letters who was an inspiration to
the Philippine nationalist movement.

The son of a prosperous landowner, Rizal was educated

in Manila and at the University of Madrid. A brilliant
medical student, he soon committed himself to the reform of
Spanish rule in his home country, though he never advocated
Philippine independence. Most of his writing was done in Europe, where he resided
between 1882 and 1892.

In 1887 Rizal published his first novel, Noli me tangere (The Social Cancer), a
passionate exposure of the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines. A sequel, El
filibusterismo (1891; The Reign of Greed), established his reputation as the leading
spokesman of the Philippine reform movement. He published an annotated edition
(1890; reprinted 1958) of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, hoping to
show that the native people of the Philippines had a long history before the coming of
the Spaniards. He became the leader of the Propaganda Movement, contributing
numerous articles to its newspaper, La Solidaridad, published in Barcelona. Rizal’s
political program included integration of the Philippines as a province of Spain,
representation in the Cortes (the Spanish parliament), the replacement of Spanish
friars by Filipino priests, freedom of assembly and expression, and equality of
Filipinos and Spaniards before the law.

Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892. He founded a nonviolent-reform society,

the Liga Filipina, in Manila, and was deported to Dapitan in northwest Mindanao. He
remained in exile for the next four years. In 1896 the Katipunan, a Filipino
nationalist secret society, revolted against Spain. Although he had no connections
with that organization and he had had no part in the insurrection, Rizal was arrested
and tried for sedition by the military. Found guilty, he was publicly executed by a
firing squad in Manila. His martyrdom convinced Filipinos that there was
no alternative to independence from Spain. On the eve of his execution, while
confined in Fort Santiago, Rizal wrote “Último adiós” (“Last Farewell”), a
masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse.

NOLI ME TANGERE

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Introduction

The plot revolves around Crisostomo Ibarra, mixed-race heir of a wealthy clan,
returning home after seven years in Europe and filled with ideas on how to better the
lot of his countrymen. Striving for reforms, he is confronted by an abusive
ecclesiastical hierarchy and a Spanish civil administration by turns indifferent and
cruel. The novel suggests, through plot developments, that meaningful change in this
context is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

The death of Ibarra’s father, Don Rafael, prior to his homecoming, and the
refusal of a Catholic burial by Padre Damaso, the parish priest, provokes Ibarra into
hitting the priest, for which Ibarra is excommunicated. The decree is rescinded,
however, when the governor general intervenes. The friar and his successor, Padre
Salvi, embody the rotten state of the clergy. Their tangled feelings—one paternal, the
other carnal—for Maria Clara, Ibarra’s sweetheart and rich Capitan Tiago’s beautiful
daughter, steel their determination to spoil Ibarra’s plans for a school. The town
philosopher Tasio wryly notes similar past attempts have failed, and his sage
commentary makes clear that all colonial masters fear that an enlightened people will
throw off the yoke of oppression.

Precisely how to accomplish this is the novel’s central question, and one
which Ibarra debates with the mysterious Elias, with whose life his is intertwined. The
privileged Ibarra favors peaceful means, while Elias, who has suffered injustice at the
hands of the authorities, believes violence is the only option.

Ibarra’s enemies, particularly Salvi, implicate him in a fake insurrection,

though the evidence against him is weak. Then Maria Clara betrays him to protect a
dark family secret, public exposure of which would be ruinous. Ibarra escapes from
prison with Elias’s help and confronts her. She explains why, Ibarra forgives her, and
he and Elias flee to the lake. But chased by the Guardia Civil, one dies while the other
survives. Convinced Ibarra’s dead, Maria Clara enters the nunnery, refusing a
marriage arranged by Padre Damaso. Her unhappy fate and that of the more
memorable Sisa, driven mad by the fate of her sons, symbolize the country’s
condition, at once beautiful and miserable.

Using satire brilliantly, Rizal creates other memorable characters whose lives
manifest the poisonous effects of religious and colonial oppression. Capitan Tiago;
the social climber Doña Victorina de Espadaña and her toothless Spanish husband; the
Guardia Civil head and his harridan of a wife; the sorority of devout women; the

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disaffected peasants forced to become outlaws: in sum, a microcosm of Philippine
society. In the afflictions that plague them, Rizal paints a harrowing picture of his
beloved but suffering country in a work that speaks eloquently not just to Filipinos but
to all who have endured or witnessed oppression.

HISTORY

Noli Me Tángere (Latin for "Touch me not", with an acute accent added on
the final word in accordance with Spanish orthography) is an 1887 novel by José
Rizal during the colonization of the Philippines by the Spanish Empire, to describe
perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and the ruling government.
Originally written in Spanish, the book is more commonly published and read in
the Philippines in either Tagalog or English. Together with its sequel, El
filibusterismo (Grade 10), the reading of Noli is obligatory for high school
students (Grade 9) throughout the country. The two novels are widely considered
the national epic of the Philippines and are adapted in many forms, such as operas,
musicals, plays, and other forms of art.
The title, which originates from the Biblical passage John 20:13-17, was in Rizal's
time a name used by Filipinos for cancer of the eyelids; that as an ophthalmologist
himself Rizal was influenced by this fact is suggested in the novel's dedication, "To
My fatherland".[citation needed] Rizal's novel aims to probe the cancers of Filipino
society.[1] Early English translations of the novel used different titles like An Eagle
Flight (1900) and The Social Cancer (1912), but more recent English translations use
the original title.

CHARACTERS
Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin (Ibarra)
A wealthy young mestizo who has just returned to the Philippines after seven years of
studying in Europe, Ibarra is sophisticated, highly esteemed, and very idealistic. The

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priests of San Diego all view him with great wariness on account of his highly liberal
education and connections. His father, the equally idealistic Don Rafael, was labeled a
subversive and a heretic by the corrupt priesthood and incarcerated, ultimately leading
to his death. Ibarra hopes to create a school in San Diego in order to carry out his
father's dreams and ideals, but he becomes entangled in conflicts with the church and
is forced to flee San Diego as a result of a conspiracy led by the scheming Father
Salví. In contrast to his more radical friend Elías, Ibarra generally wants to work
within systems to reform the Philippines, rather than overthrow them, but he shifts
towards Elías's beliefs as the novel progresses.

María Clara
A woman of high social standing, she is thought to be the daughter of Capitan Tiago
and goddaughter of Father Dámaso. She is actually the biological daughter of Father
Dámaso, the product of a scandalous relationship between the old priest and Capitan
Tiago’s wife. María Clara grew up alongside Ibarra and planned to marry him, but
Father Dámaso disapproved of the union. After Ibarra is excommunicated from the
church, her guardians set her up to be wed to Linares, a wealthy young man of
Spanish descent, and she tries to go along with the plan to avoid hurting her father, the
weak-willed Capitan Tiago. When Ibarra is put on trial for sedition, she is coerced
into surrendering the letters Ibarra has sent her as evidence of his guilt. Ultimately,
when she hears of Ibarra's apparent death, she refuses to marry Linares and joins a
convent.

Father Dámaso
Father Dámaso is an old, power-hungry, and shamelessly corrupt Spanish priest who
has lived among the native Filipinos for nearly two decades. In spite of having spent
all that time among them, the years have done nothing to endear him or develop any
sympathy in him for his “flock.” He is deeply racist, as well as petty and vindictive,
and he thinks nothing of using his considerable influence to ruin the lives of those
who have slighted him, regardless of how small the offense is. He masterminded the
death of Don Rafael Ibarra, then brazenly taunted the younger Ibarra. After he
publically insults Ibarra's father, Ibarra attacks him and he excommunicates Ibarra
from the church. He is also the godfather (and, in fact, the biological father) of María
Clara, giving him influence over her relationship with Ibarra.

Elías
A mysterious character, Elías is a man on the run from the law who resents both the
Spanish colonial government and the Catholic Church, despite his strong religious
convictions. He crosses paths with the more temperate Ibarra when Ibarra bravely
saves him from a crocodile. Elías uncovers a plot against Ibarra's life and works
closely with him throughout the second half of the novel. He and Ibarra have several
long conversations regarding the ethics of politics and governance, with Elias taking a
more revolutionary stance.

Father Salví

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A younger, more cunning Spanish priest who assumes control over Father Damaso’s
post as friar curate of San Diego. He is in many regards more dangerous that his
precursor as he is a more gifted strategist who uses his religious role for political
influence as well as personal vendettas. He frequently fights with the town's ensign
for power. His most significant role in the novel comes through his plot to ruin Ibarra,
who is engaged to María Clara, who he is in love with.

Captain Tiago (Don Santiago de los Santos)

Capitan Tiago is a rarity in that he is a wealthy Filipino who is native-born. He keeps
close ties with high-ranking members of the Catholic Church, despite actually having
no respect for religion, and shamelessly joins in others' racist insults against his own
people. His primary concern is to marry off his daughter, María Clara, to an affluent
man from an influential family. This is one of the main reasons that he is quick to toss
aside his loyalties to Ibarra when he is labeled a subversive. His predilection for
advantageous social pairings makes him quick to assent to Linares as a potential new
match for his daughter.

The Ensign
The nameless head of the Civil Guard of the township of San Diego. A man of
Spanish descent, he is in a constant bitter feud with Father Salví to gain power in the
town. He imposes curfews that make it all but impossible for the citizens of San
Diego to attend mass at the proper schedule. He drinks excessively and is married to
Doña Consolación, who he frequently fights with.

Doña Consolación
The pugnacious wife of The Ensign, Doña Consolación is an older Filipina woman
who is ashamed of her heritage and pretends to be unable to speak Tagalog, her own
native language. She fights with her husband frequently and makes many of her
husband's decisions for him. Despite being described as very ugly, she is proud and
demands respect from others.

Don Rafael Ibarra

Crisóstomo Ibarra’s father is posthumously mentioned in the novel. A critic of the
corrupt practices of the Spanish friars, he earns the ire of the vitriolic Father Dámaso,
who accuses him of sedition and heresy. He dies in prison before his name can be
cleared. His remains are buried in the Catholic cemetery in the town of San Diego, but
Father Dámaso hires a gravedigger to disinter his body to have him buried at the
Chinese cemetery because of his status as a heretic.

Crispín
A young boy studying to be a church caretaker, Crispín and his brother Basilio work
ceaselessly to send support money to their beleaguered mother, Sisa. Crispín is

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blamed for stealing money from the church coffers by the head sexton and is kept a
virtual prisoner until the debt is paid. On the night that he and his brother were to visit
their mother, the head sexton keeps them until the curfew, effectively barring the
brothers from travelling. The head sexton beats him and he is never seen again
afterward, presumably dying at the hands of the cruel head sexton, though another
church official claims he escaped.

Basilio
Basilio is Crispín's older brother. Like his younger brother, he works as a sexton.
Basilio makes a desperate run for their home the night Crispín is dragged away and
attempts to locate his younger brother the day after, but his search efforts are fruitless.
The following day, the Civil Guard comes looking for him and his brother. Fearing
for his life, he runs to the forest where he goes into hiding, living with kind family
until Christmas Eve. When he finally locates Sisa, he learns that she has gone mad
from grief and is thus unable to identify him as her son. He follows her to the forest,
where she regains her wits temporarily and then dies from the shock.

Doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña

A fraud and a hustler, the Spaniard who calls himself Doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña
was actually a customs officer who was dismissed from his post shortly after arriving
in the Philippines. Despite having no medical experience, he travels the countryside
posing as a doctor, charging extortionate fees for his so-called services after his wife
encourages him to pretend to be a doctor. His patients eventually catch wind of his
schemes and he is forced to relocate to another area where he is all but unknown. He
finds his way to San Diego, where he resumes his fake medical practice.

La Doctora Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaña

A brazen and determined Filipina social climber, Doña Victorina is the spouse of the
counterfeit doctor, Tiburcio de Espadaña. She is well past her prime and relies on
garish make-up to carry on a façade of youth. She eagerly tries to marry off her
nephew to María Clara, likely as a means to further advance her social status.
Lt. Guevara
A morally upright man of Spanish descent who holds both Crisóstomo Ibarra and the
late Don Rafael in high esteem, he is also the lieutenant of the Civil Guard. He is one
of the few who openly support the Ibarras and is vocal about his dislike of Father
Dámaso’s control. He informs Crisóstomo Ibarra of the fate of his father and how
Father Damaso was involved in his death.

Linares
Dr. de Espadaña’s nephew, a respectable young Spanish man. Like his uncle, he has
forged credentials and hopes to climb through the social ranks.

The Schoolmaster

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A teacher that Don Rafael housed, thus allowing him to suitably attend to the task of
instructing students; he informs Crisóstomo Ibarra of the sorry state of education of
San Diego since the passing of his father. The friars closely watch the material being
taught in the school, forbidding him from teaching Spanish. The schoolmaster is
grateful to the Ibarra family, but he is not hopeful that he’ll make headway in getting
any lasting educational reforms to happen.

Don Filipo (Filipo Lino)

Don Filipo Lino is a representative of the younger, less religiously shackled
generation of movers and shakers in San Diego, and he also serves as the vice mayor
of the town. He despises the idea of spending lavish amounts of money on the
numerous feast days that mark the religious calendar, seeing it as both wasteful and
burdensome to the citizens. His words, however, fall on deaf ears as he is only deputy
mayor, and the mayor himself is a dedicated follower of the Catholic church and
the de facto mouthpiece of the friars.

The Mayor
Nothing more than a marionette of the Catholic priesthood, the unnamed mayor of
San Diego is very conservative and bows down to the religious officials of the town.

The Yellow Man

An assassin tasked to kill the younger Ibarra, his plot to murder the young man is
thwarted by the cunning Elias. He is given this moniker for his permanently sallow,
jaundiced complexion.

Sisa
The long-suffering mother of sextons-in-training Crispin and Basilio, she goes mad
upon the loss of her sons. Impoverished and married to a violent drunkard, she is
allied only with her sons. She wanders the town, clothes tattered and hair disheveled,
calling out for her sons. When she actually does meet Basilio, she cannot recognize
him.

Father Sibyla
A priest serving in the Binondo district in the city of Manila, Father Sibyla serves as a
foil to the otherwise largely corrupt Father Dámaso and the perverse Father Salví as
he is rational and calm. Father Sibyla is an adept and shrewd orator who takes obvious
delight in antagonizing the pompous Father Dámaso at Ibarra’s return party.

Aunt Isabel

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A cousin of Capitan Tiago who raised Maria Clara as her own child after her mother’s
untimely death.

Old Tasio (Don Anastasio)

An old man who previously studied philosophy and is believed to be crazy by most of
the community. He respects Ibarra and gives him valuable advice, and also helped
Ibarra's father before him.

Lucas
The Yellow Man’s brother. Wanting revenge on Ibarra, he teams up with Father
Salví to frame the young man as the ringleader of the group of bandits that attacks the
military barracks.

Captain Pablo

The leader of the band of “persecuted” men who want revenge on the Civil
Guard. Elías meets with Pablo and asks him to delay his plan to attack civilization,
convincing him that it would be best if Ibarra represented them so they can achieve
their goals nonviolently.

Bruno
Társilo’s brother, who dies the night of the barracks attack. Before his death, Bruno
repeats what Lucas has told him—namely, that Ibarra is the leader of the rebellion.

Captain Tinong
A friend of Captain Tiago’s. Like Tiago, Tinong only cares about his own image.
When it seems as though Tiago’s family has been disgraced because of its association
with Ibarra, he quickly turns his back on his friend.

The Chief Sexton

The man in charge of taking care of the church. The sexton essentially does Father
Salví’s dirty work, like beating Crispín or hanging Lucas after the attack on the
barracks.

Victoria
One of María Clara’s friends, and one of her cousins.

Andeng

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One of María Clara’s friends. Andeng has known María Clara for a very long time,
having even shared the same wet-nurse as an infant.

Sinang
One of María Clara’s friends and cousins.

Iday

One of María Clara’s friends.

The Gravedigger
A cemetery worker who, on Father Dámaso’s orders, exhumes Don Rafael’s
body. Ibarra interrogates this man, desperate for information about his father.

SUMMARY
Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin, commonly referred to as Ibarra, has been
studying in Europe for the past seven years, though he is a mestizo Filipino. As he
arrives back in the Philippines, his friend, a prominent man named Captain Tiago,
hosts a reunion dinner. Ibarra had been in Europe for such a long time that he doesn’t
know what has been going on in the country. At dinner, Father Dámaso, who Ibarra
thought was friends with his father, treats him badly, which surprises Ibarra.

As Ibarra is walking home from the dinner, another family friend, Señor Guevara,
follows him and tells him that Ibarra’s father died in prison after a campaign of
slander against him, and that Father Dámaso had a hand in his death. Father Dámaso
had accused the elder Ibarra of not going to confession, and after Rafael Ibarra
inadvertently killed a man who beat a young boy, he was imprisoned and attacked
with accusations of subversion and heresy. Guevara tried to clear his name, but he
died in prison before he could be freed. The younger Ibarra is shocked, but unsure of
what to do. He goes to visit his old lover, Maria Clara, but as Maria mentions Ibarra’s
family, Ibarra is put off.

Instead of seeking revenge, Ibarra tries to follow his father’s footsteps of peace. After
meeting with a schoolmaster who knew his father, he plans on establishing a public

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school to help his hometown. Yet the schoolmaster warns him that Father Dámaso
meddles in the school system, preventing students from learning Spanish and
demanding that he beat the students. Ibarra pitches the idea of the school to town
officials, pretending that he wants to work with them on it, and they agree.

Meanwhile, two young boys, Crispín and Basilio, work as sextons to support their
impoverished mother, Sisa, who is abused by their father. When Crispín is falsely
accused of theft, the brothers must work even more. When he protests, Crispín is
severely beaten, while Basilio escapes. He returns the next day to look for his brother,
but can't find him. Sisa looks for both her sons, losing her mind as she wanders the
area in search of them.

Ibarra goes to his father’s grave, seeking peace. He is shocked to discover that his
father’s corpse was removed and supposedly put into a Chinese cemetery at the order
of the town's curate—Father Dámaso.

During the town's festivities, Ibarra and the officials plan to celebrate the new school,
hoping to bless it after a sermon by Father Dámaso. During the sermon, a mysterious
man named Elías approaches Ibarra, warning him of a plot to kill him. Elías had been
the boatman on an earlier excursion Ibarra took with friends, but after the excursion,
Ibarra discovered he was a wanted fugitive.

That night, Father Dámaso invites himself to a dinner Ibarra is hosting. He insults
both indigenous Filipinos and Ibarra’s father specifically. He punches Father Dámaso,
but before he can kill him, he is stopped by María Clara.

Ibarra is excommunicated, and María Clara falls ill, then is reengaged to a new man
after her spineless father calls off her wedding to Ibarra. Meanwhile, the Captain
General, the highest Spanish official in the novel, manages to lift Ibarra's
excommunication, angering the clergy. Ibarra continues working on the school, and
Father Salvi, who is in love with María Clara, plots with Lucas, the brother of a man
killed by the plot intended to kill Ibarra at the festival, to frame Ibarra for a rebellion,
organizing people with grievances against the colonial government and telling them
that Ibarra is leading the revolt. Right before the attack happens, Father Salvi warns
everyone, claiming someone told him about it in confession.

Ibarra is thrown into prison, having been found guilty based on a letter he wrote to
María Clara before leaving for Europe years ago. Again, Elías rescues him, breaking
him out of prison and taking him to María Clara. She explains that she gave Father
Salvi the letter that led to Ibarra being found guilty because he blackmailed her: he
knew that her real father is Father Dámaso, and threatened to reveal this information.
She apologizes to Ibarra, profoundly sorry.

Elías and Ibarra row away, but they quickly realize they're being followed by another
boat, which will soon catch up. Elías jumps off the boat to confuse their pursuers, who
think he is Ibarra and try to shoot him while the real Ibarra escapes. They appear to
kill him, but they never see his body.

María Clara tells Father Dámaso that she can't marry Linares, the man she is now
engaged to, and threatens to commit suicide if she is not allowed to enter a convent.

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Because a newspaper reported Ibarra is dead, she cannot bear the thought of being
married to another man. Father Dámaso reluctantly agrees.

On Christmas Eve, Basilio wanders away from the cabin where he's been staying with
an adoptive family and looks for Sisa, his mother. He finds her, but she doesn't
recognize him and runs away. Finally, he catches her and faints, and she dies of shock,
having finally recognized him. Elías appears, telling Basilio that he is about to die,
and asks Basilio to put his body with Sisa's on a funeral pyre. "I die without seeing
dawn’s light shining on my country…You, who will see it, welcome it for me…don’t
forget those who fell during the nighttime," he says.

EL FILIBUSTERISMO

Introduction
El Filibusterismo, also known by its English alternate title The Reign of Greed, is the
second book written by Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. It is the sequel to Noli me
tangere and, like the first book, was written in Spanish. It was first published in 1891
in Ghent, Belgium.

The novel's dark theme departs dramatically from the previous novel's hopeful and
romantic atmosphere, signifying the character Ibarra's resort to solving his country's
issues through violent means, after his previous attempt at reforming the country's
system have made no effect and seemed impossible with the attitudes of the Spaniards
towards the Filipinos. The novel, along with its predecessor, was banned in some parts
of the Philippines as a result of their portrayals of the Spanish government's abuse and
corruption. These novels along with Rizal's involvement in organizations that aim to
address and reform the Spanish system and its issues led to Rizal's exile to Dapitan and
eventual execution. Both the novel and its predecessor, along with Rizal's last poem,
are now considered Rizal's literary masterpieces.

HISTORY

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Jose Rizal, El Filibusterismo (Reign of Greed), written in Spanish and a sequel to Noli
Me Tangere, was published in Ghent, Belgium. Rizal, who began writing El
Filibusterismo in October 1887 in Calamba, Laguna, revised some chapters while he
was in London and completed the book on March 29, 1891. Rizal wrote El
Filibusterismo in dedication to the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, expressing conviction that their treatment and deaths at
the hands of the Spanish authorities was unjust.

Plots are poles apart compared with Noli Me Tangere, where people were
encouraged to ask and aspire for change and liberation, in El Filibusterismo, Rizal
urged the society to open its eyes to reality and rebel against the Spanish
government for its oppression and abuse.

In Noli Me Tangere, there is aspiration, beauty, romance, and mercy. In El

Filibusterismo, readers will feel is bitterness, hatred, and antipathy. The romance
and aspirations are gone. Even the characters' personalities seem to have undergone
radical change.

CHARACTERS
Simoun
Crisóstomo Ibarra reincarnated as a wealthy jeweler, bent on starting a revolution

Basilio
Sisa's son, now an aspiring doctor

Isagani
poet and Basilio's best friend; portrayed as emotional and reactive; Paulita Gómez'
boyfriend before being dumped for fellow student Juanito Peláez

Kabesang Tales
Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay (barangay head) who
resurfaced as the feared Luzón bandit Matanglawin (Tagalog for Hawkeye); his
father, Old Man Selo, dies eventually after his own son Tano, who became a guardia
civil, unknowingly shoots his grandfather in an encounter

Don Custodio
Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a famous journalist who was
asked by the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano. In reality,
he is quite an ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of
Manila's high society

Paulita Gómez
the girlfriend of Isagani and the niece of Doña Victorina, the old India who passes
herself off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de

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 Espadaña. In the end, she and Juanito Peláez are wed, and she dumps Isagani,
believing that she will have no future if she marries him

Father Florentino
Isagani's godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but chose the
priesthood instead, the story hinting at the ambivalence of his decision as he chooses
an assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea.

Huli
Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang
Tales

Ben Zayb
Abraham Ibañez is his real name. He is a journalist who thinks he is the only one
thinking in the Philippines

Placido Penitente
a student of the University of Santo Tomas who is always miserable, and therefore
controls his temper

Quiroga
a Chinese businessman who dreamt of being a consul of a Consulate of China in the
Philippines. He hid Simoun's weapons inside his house

Old Man Selo

father of Kabesang Tales. He raised the sick and young Basilio after his mother Sisa
had died

Father Fernandez
the priest-friend of Isagani. He promised to Isagani that he and the other priests will
give in to the students' demands

Attorney Pasta
one of the great lawyers of mid-Hispanic Manila

Captain-General
(no specific name) the powerful highest official of the Philippines

Padre Sibyla
Hernando de la Sibyla, a Filipino friar and now vice-rector of the University of
Santo Tomas (U.S.T.)

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SUMMARY
The protagonist of El Filibusterismo is a jeweler named Simoun. He is the new
identity of Crisostomo Ibarra who, in the prequel Noli, escaped from pursuing soldiers.
It is revealed that Crisostomo dug up his buried treasure and fled to Cuba, becoming
richer and befriending Spanish officials.

After many years, the newly fashioned Simoun returns to the Philippines, where he is
able to freely move around. He is a powerful figure not only because of his wealth but
also because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general.

Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain; however, in secret, he is plotting a terrible

revenge against the Spanish authorities. His two obsessions are to rescue his
paramour Maria Clara from the nunnery of Santa Clara and to foment a Philippine
revolution against Spain.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board a steamer ship sailing up the Pasig
river from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the passengers are Simoun; Doña
Victorina, a pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her
henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her
beautiful niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly
articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University of Santo
Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-
Spanish Filipino holding a position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan
friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend of the
Filipino students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino
priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio,
son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical education is financed by
his patron, Capitan Tiago.

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A man of wealth and mystery, Simoun is a very close friend and confidante of the
Spanish governor general. Because of his great influence in Malacañang, he was
called the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black Eminence”. By using his wealth and
political influence, he encourages corruption in the government, promotes the
oppression of the masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the country so that the
people may become desperate and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with the
help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga, who aspires to be Chinese consul of Manila.
His first attempt to begin the armed uprising did not materialize because at the last
hour he hears the sad news that Maria Clara died in the nunnery. In his agonizing
moment of bereavement, he did not give the signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun
perfects his plan to overthrow the government. On the occasion of the wedding of
Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives a wedding gift to them a beautiful lamp.
Only he and his confidential associates, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined his
revolutionary cause), know that when the wick of his lamp burns lower the
nitroglycerine, hidden in its secret compartment, will explode, destroying the house
where the wedding feast is going to be held killing all the guests, including the
governor general, the friars, and the government officials. Simultaneously, all the
government buildings in Manila will be blown by Simoun’s followers.

As the wedding feast begins, the poet Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita
because of his liberal ideas, is standing outside the house, sorrowfully watching the
merriment inside. Basilio, his friend, warns him to go away because the lightened
lamp will soon explode.

Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani realizes that his beloved Paulita
is in grave danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the lightened lamp,
and hurls it into the river, where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot is thus discovered. Simoun is cornered by the soldiers, but he
escapes. Mortally wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he seeks refuge in the
home of Padre Florentino by the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the house of Padre
Florentino. Lieutenant Perez of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he
will come at eight o’clock that night to arrest Simoun.

Simoun eludes arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he confesses to Padre

Florentino, revealing his true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge
himself, and his sinister aim to destroy his friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is already night when
Padre Florentino, wiping the sweat from his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to
meditate. He consoles the dying man saying: “God will forgive you Señor Simoun.
He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have suffered, and in ordaining
that the chastisement for your faults should come as death from the very ones you
have instigated to crime, we can see His infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans

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one by one, the best conceived, first by the death of Maria Clara, then by a lack of
preparation, then in some mysterious way. Let us bow to His will and render Him
thanks!”

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God,
Padre Florentino falls upon his knees and prays for the dead jeweler. The priest then
takes the treasure chest and throws it into the sea.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are the two marked novels of our national
hero, Dr. Jose Rizal which are similar and different in some ways. The two novels are
similar primarily in their author, Rizal. Another, in a way that they both talk about
how Spaniards abused the Filipinos, the abuse of the church of their power and the
discrimination on Filipinos. Both Noli and El Fili shows strong anti-Clerical and even
anti-Catholic color. They convey one story because the latter is published in sequel or
continuation.

However, they are different in many cases. Firstly Noli Me Tangere, Latin title
meaning “touch me not” refers to the letter of John 20:17 in King James version of the
Bible as Mary Magdalene tried to touch the newly risen Jesus, He said “Touch me not;
for I am not yet ascended to my Father”. Meanwhile, El filibusterismo is Spanish title
which is known in english as The Reign of Greed. Noli is a love story or a romantic
novel, dedicated to our motherland while El fili is a political novel associated with
revenge and anger and is dedicated to GOMBURZA.

The first is more on action and motion, the latter is thoughtful, discursive and dialectal.
Noli showed a soft spoken, patient, compassionate and idealistic Crisostomo Ibarra
while El Fili featured a different Ibarra who portrayed the angry and vengeful side of
him and disguised himself as the wealthy jeweller named Simoun. Noli is written in
the idea that would expose the ills of Philippine society after Harriet Beecher Stowe’s
Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In general Noli is more on the reformist side of Rizal while El
fili is on his revolutionist.

Personal Opinions Noli Me Tangere is actually a tale of romance between Crisostomo

Ibarra and Maria Clara. Between the side lines of Ibarra and Maria Clara’s love story
is the historical narrative of the era of Dr. Jose Rizal. Ibarra’s journey in the world of
Noli is the life of our National hero: from Ibarra’s philosophies, disputes, and
mysteries. Many may conclude Rizal is Ibarra. Another character that could be Rizal’s
reflection is the farmer that became Ibarra’s mysterious friend.

Elias, contrary to Ibarra in this context, believes in revolution for the country to be
freed from the Spanish oppression. Much can be said about the controversial Noli, but

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as much as the students nowadays stray away from the subject Rizal, we cannot deny
the influence of the Noli Me Tangere, and its role in igniting the Filipino sense of
national identity. El Filibusterismo which literally means The Reign of Greed in
English is the sequel to the first novel written by Dr.

Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere. El Fili narrates the return of a Noli character Crisostomo
Ibarra as the wealthy jeweller, bent on starting a revolution. This novel, together with
the Noli Me Tangere, is said to have sparked the revolution against Spain in 1896. In
it, Rizal presented the dilemma faced by the country as the people groaned under the
foreign oppressor: to revolt would only lead to a change of masters, while to do
nothing would keep the nation enslaved for generations.

Rizal proposes a better way, through Father Florentino as he speaks to the dying
Simoun: educate the natives, and when they shall have reached that stage where they
would be willing to die for their principles, God Himself will supply the weapon, and
“liberty will shine, like the first dawn. ” As gospels of Philippine nationalism, Rizal’s
novels convey the essence of his nationalism that was to reverberate in the hearts of
the people.

He identified this essence in his letters as his aspiration to alleviate the sufferings of
the masses, to make men worthy, to avenge one day the many victims of cruelty and
injustice, to erect a monument to the native tongue and to educate his people. In the
two novels, the essence of Rizal’s nationalism is best understood through the keen
study of the characters. Through their dialogue and actions, in their ideas and ideals,
or in the lack of these are seen Rizal’s range of vision, his concept of love of country,
his appeal for reforms, his attitude towards the friars, and his views on the weaknesses
of the Filipinos.

REFLECTION
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are works of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
He sacrifice his life by making these artworks and made sure that his fellow
countrymen became aware of the truth behind the Spanish colonization. Dr. Jose Rizal
did everything with his God given talent to fight for our country and fellow Filipinos.
How amazing his works are that lead to the freedom which we enjoy today. I can’t
help but be mesmerized by this two works of our hero for he offer his life just to
finish it and I was thankful that we get to know the story and the life and works of Dr.
Jose Rizal.

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REFERENCES
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Rizal

https://www.gradesaver.com/noli-me-tangere/study-guide/summary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noli_Me_T%C3%A1ngere_(novel)

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-reign-of-greed-or-el-filibusterismo-
annotated/id1063543672

https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1276/today-in-philippine-
history-september-18-1891-dr-jose-rizals-el-filibusterismo-was-
published-in-ghent-belgium

https://www.kapitbisig.com/philippines/el-filibusterismo-the-reign-of-
greed-by-dr-jose-rizal-book-notes-summary-in-english-the-characters-
the-summary-of-el-filibusterismo_202.html

https://www.tagaloglang.com/el-filibusterismo-english-summary/

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