‘NOLI ME TANGERE’

The title Noli Me Tangere was taken from

the Gospel of Saint John.
According to St. John, on the First Easter
Sunday, Mary Magdalene visited the Holy
Sepulcher and to her our Lord Jesus, just
arisen from the dead said:
“Touch me not; I have not yet ascended to
my Father but go to my brethren, and say
unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and
your Father; and to my God and your God.”
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

1. It could refer to Rizal saying to the Spaniards, “Touch Me Not”

• Rizal had previously given a warning to Spain in the death of
GOMBURZA. “Repeat the execution and the fate of the
executioners is sealed”. Precisely it did happen, Spain executed
Rizal and the future of the Spanish empire is doomed. Also one
should never forget that Rizal’s pen name is DIMASALANG – which
connotes Untouchability!
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

2. Itcould refer to the Philippines saying to Spain,

“Touch Me Not”
A threat or a caution! Philippines is asking the colonial
government to stop the abuses and maltreatment of the
her people, otherwise such miserable conditions would
soon spark a revolution.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

3. Noli Me Tangere “Touch Me Not”

sketches a wound painful even to the
healer’s touch causing more agony and
pain than relief.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

4. It could refer to the true “Social Cancer”,

hence the title Noli Me Tangere”. Critical
issues and problems are maligning Philippine
society – least contact irritates it causing the
most acute pain.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME TANGERE
- “Touch Me Not”

5. It could refer to the book itself and its content

a) From the book itself it could mean WARNING! – You
are picking up an Explosive! Read it and you will be
shocked! Read it and be ready to face the
consequences.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME TANGERE
- “Touch Me Not”

Another warning of a different kind came from unexpected quarter

– the printer’s man delivering proofs to Rizal, though none of them
spoke proper Spanish, they realized that the work they are producing
was “real dynamite”. If the author would go back to the Philippines his
fate would certainly be---- (He drew his hand across his gullet) and
advised Rizal not to go. Rizal just gave him a Volterian smile –
What is done is done and cannot be undone!
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

b) On the content
• -The book contains things that nobody dares to talk about
during those times.
• -These things were so delicate that they cannot be touched by
anyone. Examples of these issues are; immorality of the friars,
rampant graft and corruption, mal-administration of justice and
excessive human rights violations.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

6. a) It could refer to someone suffering from a societal

stigma brought either by a contagious disease, like
leprosy. There’s a leper shown in one of the chapters of
the novel. The leper is ostracized and held outcast by
the society. Even the leper is healed, a sign hanging
around his neck reads, “Touch Me Not”, or a societal
stigma being labeled as “Erehe or Filibustero”.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

6. b) It could refer to someone suffering from a

societal stigma brought either of being labeled
as “Erehe or Filibustero” – the people whom
no one dares to associate with in colonial
Philippines.
 Interpretations of NOLI ME
TANGERE - “Touch Me Not”

7. Itcould be a challenge to Filipino curiosity on the

novel. By nature, the Filipinos are naturally curious, so
the more restrictions the authority imposed upon the
book, the more the book is banned, the more it becomes
controversial – the higher is their curiosity, thus more
and more Filipinos would like to read it.