LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

CHAPTER 5:

Noli Me Tangere
3 EE-B: Group 2
 The Noli Me Tangere
The Noli Me Tangere was Rizal's first novel which tackled the society and
government in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. He used
cancer as the metaphor of the Philippine society since like cancer, the
sickness of our society was untouched growing to be chronic malady and
incurable. In his novel, he discussed how friars deceived the Filipinos and
made them blindly believe in the practices of religion. (Published in 1887)
 He used San Diego as the epitome of
the Philippines, the events in San
Diego were based on his observation
in political situations and society in
our country and also there were
influences of the books that he had
read while he was in Europe like the
book of Harriet Beecher Stone entitled
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" which described
the abuses experienced by the
Africans under their American masters
and the book written by Eugene Sue
entitled "The Wandering Jew."
 Characters of the Novel
JUAN CRISOSTOMO IBARRA
He was the main character in the novel, a gentlemen who studied in
Europe, full of idealism and dream to contribute change in the
society by the establishment of a school. He was the son of Don
Rafael Ibarra and the lover of Maria Clara. However, his good
intention failed because of Padre Damaso who did everything
against his father and him. He was also a picture of a son who
wanted justice for his father who died because of injustice and
abuse of others in their power.
 Characters of the Novel
DON RAFAEL IBARRA
He was the father of Crisostomo, a person who belonged to the high
part of the society but had a heart for the poor. Dignified and a
person of principles. A former friend of Padre Damaso and because
of the prestige and recognition that Don Rafael experienced, Padre
Damaso envied him and plotted different things against Don Rafael.
He was imprisoned because he helped a child under the abuse of a
Spaniard. Inside the prison, he died and Padre Damaso ordered that
his remains should be thrown in the river.
 Characters of the Novel
ELIAS
He was a rebel in the novel. He
became friends with Crisostomo
when the latter saved him from
the crocodile who attacked them.
He symbolized the less fortunate
Filipinos who thought that uprising
could be a means in ending their
poverty and abuse in the society.
MARIA CLARA
She was the girlfriend
of Crisostomo, she
symbolized a Filipina
who came from a good
education, modest,
faithful, reserved and
conservative.
 Characters of the Novel
SISA
The mother of Crispin and Basilio. She came from a rich family
and married a man who was engaged in gambling. They became
poor and because her husband Pedro did not want
her two children worked in the church. Unfortunately, the
Sakristan Mayor accused Crispin that he got the seven silver
coins of the church. Crispin was punished and later on died in the
hands of Sakristan Mayor. Sisa became insane because of her
search for Basilio and Crispin. Sisa symbolized a mother who
would do everything for the sake of her children.
 Characters of the Novel
KAPITAN TIAGO
He was Don Anastacio de los Santos and one of the richest men in
San Diego. He was known as the father of Maria Clara and his
house was often the venue for the gatherings in the town. Even
though he knew some of the irregularities in the government and
society, he would not do anything because he wanted to protect his
properties. He symbolized the Filipinos who were passive and
thought of their welfare first.
 Characters of the Novel
PADRE DAMASO
The head priest of San Diego for 20
years. He was a former friend of Don
Rafael Ibarra and the real father of Maria
Clara. He was envious, greedy and he
would use his power to get what he want.
He symbolized the abusive leaders of the
church and society.
 Characters of the Novel
DOÑA VICTORINA
She was the wife of Don
Tiburcio de Espadaña a doctor.
She was a social climber and
dreamed to be part of the
upper society. She symbolized
the Filipinos who would give up
their principles and identities as
a Filipino just to be part of the
higher society.
DOÑA PATROCINO
She had an elicit love affair
with the Alferez. Although she
had bad attitudes and habits,
she wanted to hide it by being
prayerful. She symbolized the
Filipina who always prayed and
joined the activities in the
church just to hide her bad
attitudes.
 Characters of the Novel
PILOSOPO TASIO
He was considered insane in the novel because of his
intelligence and his assertiveness in speaking his mind
However, Crisostomo Ibarra often referred to him for
truth and knowledge. He symbolized a Filipino who was
intelligent and spoke for his principles.
 The Summary of the Novel
Don Crisostomo Ibarra returned to San Diego after his stay in Europe
for his studies. He learned about the death of his father because of
sickness inside the prison. He attended a dinner in the house of Don
Tiago to see his girlfriend, Maria Clara but in the same place he also
saw Padre Damaso who had negative remarks about him because he
practiced the behavior that he learned from Europe.
During the dinner, Padre
Damaso got mad because
Crisostomo got the meaty
part of the chicken tinola
when he only got the got the
neck part. Señor Guevarra,
a friend of his father, told
Crisostomo about the
misfortune that his father
suffered.
On his travel to different parts of San
Diego, he met Pilosopo Tasio with whom he
had the conversation about the school that
he wanted to build for the reform of the
society. He also learned about the story of
Sisa who became insane because of the
search for her two sons who were abused
by the Sakristan Mayor. In the midst of
insanity, she only uttered the name of
Basilio and Crispin.
 The friends of Crisostomo and Maria Clara had the picnic in the river.
While riding in a boat a crocodile attacked the group. Elias dove into the
water but the crocodile overpowered him so Crisostomo also dove into the
water and saved Elias. And this was the start of the friendship of Elias and
Crisostomo. So during the ground breaking of the school that Crisostomo
planned to build, Elias saved Crisostomo from the plan of assassination
against him.
The search for justice and his good intention of building school for the
poor led Padre Damaso to hate Crisostomo so he always delivered
negative comments and criticism to Crisostomo during his homily. And
because he knew that Padre Damaso was the person behind the
death of his father, in one dinner he attempted to kill Padre Damaso
but Maria Clara pleaded to him because Padre Damaso was her true
father. Crisostomo escaped after the incident.
The people had an uprising against the government but it was not successful.
And Crisostomo was accused to be the leader of the said uprising. Elias
helped him to escape and before they left they went to the house of Maria
Clara. Unfortunately, the Guardia Civil knew that they were there so after
bidding goodbye to Maria Clara the two jumped to the water to escape. The
guardia civil shot Elias thinking that he was Crisostomo and as the two jumped
into the water the truth was hidden from the authorities. Crisostomo went to
the cemetery to bury the body of Elias and in the same place there was Basilio
who also buried the body of her mother Sisa. It was only Basilio who knew the
truth about Crisostomo. At the end of the novel, the readers observed that evil
things could overshadow the good principles of the other people.
 The Result of Noli Me Tangere
The novel was printed with the help of Dr. Maximo Viola who lent
Jose Rizal an amount of 200 pesos, the money which was intended
for the allowance for food but Jose chose to use the amount in
printing his novel. His friends commended the novel. Ferdinand
Blumentritt commended Jose Rizal because according to him, the
novel was written from the heart. And based on the technical
aspects of the novel, Rizal, according gift in writing and his novel
could be a source of enlightenment of the people to Ferdinand,
possessed a of his country. Padre Francisco Sanchez commended
the literary skills of Jose Rizal which was evident in the novel,
however he also suggested to Rizal that he should include the good
qualities of the priest in his novel. But still Padre Sanchez defended
the novel against the public.
 The Result of Noli Me Tangere
Antonio Regidor considered Noli Me Tangere as superior and could be
compared to the novel Don Quijote. And Padre Vicente Garcia objected
the criticism that the novel discussed the issues and stories that did not
happen in the Philippines. According to him, the novel was a literary piece
but based on the actual observations of the writer.

However, other personalities in the Philippines especially the friars

criticized the novel because the gobernadorcillo in the country had
the petition to the Governor General to remove the friars. So the friars
brought the novel into censorship and they succeeded because the
committee declared the novel as anti- church and so ordered the ban
of the novel and the imprisonment of the people who had copies of
the book.
LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
CHAPTER 6:

El Filibusterismo
3 EE-B: Group 2
 The El Filibusterismo
The second novel of Jose Rizal was full of revenge and anger. This novel
encouraged the people who experienced abuse to revenge and seek for
justice using violent means. This novel was written in the memory of
GomBurZa, the three priests who experienced injustice and executed in
1872. If Noli Me Tangere described the society during the Spanish
colonization in the Philippines, El Filibusterismo encouraged the people to
rise and unite to assert reform even with violent means. (Published in 1891)
 Noli Me Tangere EL Filibusterismo
• Published in Berlin, Germany • The Subversive
• March 21, 1887 • Published in Ghent, Belgium
• Published through the help of Maximo Viola
• September 18, 1891
Influenced by the novel entitled "Uncle Tom's Cabin"

• A novel exposing the real situation in the Philippines • Saved by Valentin Ventura

• Touch Me Not • Dedicated to the GomBurZa

• Huwag mo akong Salingin. • Sequel to the Noli

•Came from the Bible • Darker and more tragic than its predecessor

• Sometimes used to describe an eye cancer • Shorter than Noli (Noli- 64 chapters; Fili - 38
chapters)
• Refers to the existing SOCIAL CANCER (Apathy and
Ignorance) • A Political Novel
• Culture of the Philippines
• A story of revenge and revolution.
• An idealist introducing reforms
• Metaphor of Philippine Society (Bapor Tabo
• A tragic love story and Pasig River)

• Colonial Discrimination • Simoun's plot of revenge and revolution.

• Church Power • Failure of the Revolution planned by Simoun.

 Characters of the Novel
SIMOUN BASILYO
The continuation of the character He was the son of
of Crisostomo from being Sisa and was
idealistic, the cruel society made adopted by Kapitan
him pessimistic. Using his wealth, Tiago. A medicine
he encouraged the people who student and the
experienced abuse to join him in boyfriend of Juli.
his rebellion against the church
and the society.
 Characters of the Novel
ISAGANI G. PASTA
He was the nephew of a good He was a former
priest named Padre idealistic Filipino but
Florentino. He was idealistic because of the
and a student leader. He was corruption in the
the friend of Basilio and the government he became
boyfriend of Maria Paulita self-centered.
Gomez.
 Characters of the Novel
JULI
She was the less fortunate daughter of Cabesang Tales
and the girlfriend of Basilio. When her father was
abducted by the rebels, she offered her service to
Hermana Penchang to get the money for the ransom. And
when Basilio was imprisoned, she offered her body to a
priest for the release of Basilio. Because of the different
misfortunes that she experienced, she committed suicide.
 Characters of the Novel
KABESANG
TALES
A farmer who rented a piece of land
from the corporation of the friars.
When the friars wanted to increase the
tax for the land he refused and then he
was abducted and later he joined the
plan of Simoun. But instead of
attaining justice, he faced his death.
PLACIDO
PINETENTE
He was a student from the
province. A scholar and a
victim of a self-centered
professor. He walked out
from school and joined the
plan of Simoun
 Characters of the Novel
DON MARIA PAULITA PADRE
CUSTODIO GOMEZ FLORENTINO
A Spaniard who was She was the girlfriend of The relative of
placed in the high Isagani but in the end Isagani and a
position in the she married another man good Filipino
government even if just to follow the request priest
he was not educated of her aunt, Doña
and did not have Victorina.
enough skills.
 The Plot
El Filibusterismo is the sequel of Noli Me Tangere, Simoun Ibarra or
Crisostomo Ibarra in the last novel sought for revenge against the people
who did wrong to his family. He planned the revolution to overthrow the
existing government and the friars through encouraging other people who
also experienced misfortune because of them.
In the first scene in the Bapor Tabo, the order of the people aboard
represented the social stratification in the society where the native
Filipinos were in the lowest part of the ship and the peninsulares,
government official and the friars were on top.

Simoun encouraged the people who experienced injustice in the hands of

the friars and Spanish authorities like Placido Penitente who experienced
discrimination from his teacher - Padre Milton. One day in his class in
Physics, Placido was asked to answer a question which was intended for
Juanito Pelaez.
Padre Milton was a kind of teacher who would get mad if someone could
answer his question and he only accepted answers coming from the book.
However, as an intelligent student, Placido could expand well his answer and
because of that he had an argument with Padre Milton. Because he could
answer the question, Padre Milton felt insulted so he marked Placido as
absent and failed for that day. And then Placido answered back that how
could he receive a failing grade for that day if he was absent. Then Placido
walked out from the university and decided to join Simoun.
Kabesang Tales was a farmer who lost his land because of the friars. He
refused to pay taxes and filed a case against the friars. He was kidnapped
by the rebels because they thought that he had a lot of money because he
could afford to sue the friars. His daughter Juli decided to work as house
worker in the house of Hermana Penchang to earn money for the ransom of
his father. However, Kabesang Tales chose to live with the rebels and fought
against the government. His idea of revenge was encouraged by Simoun and
the later gave financial support for the rebels.
Isagani was the leader of the Filipino students who wanted to build an
academy of Spanish language so that the Filipino students could have
the opportunity to know the language. He was an idealist who was
suspicious of Simoun. He was the boyfriend of Maria Paulita Gomez but
Paulita married Juanito Pelaez since he was a Spaniard and came from
a wealthy family.
Basilio, the son of Sisa, was a medical student and was the adopted
son of Kapitan Tiago. He was the boyfriend of Juli and because he was
part of the organization who fought for the foundation of the Academy
of Spanish Language, he was later imprisoned. And because he could
not pay for his freedom, Juli offered herself to Padre Camorra so that
Basilio could be free. Juli could not bear the result of her agreement
with Padre Camorra so she committed suicide.
The plan of Simoun would be executed during the wedding of Maria Paulita
Gomez and Juanito Pelaez because the wedding would be attended by the
friars and the highest officials in the government. Simoun would give the oil
lamp that would explode when the lid of the light pulled. The explosion would
be the cue for the rebels to attack. But his plan did not materialize because
on the day of the wedding Basilio warned Isagani about the explosion. And
so Isagani went to the venue and threw the oil lamp to the river. The
explosion did not happen and the rebels thought that they were deceived by
Simoun. The Spanish authorities arrested those who were included in the plan
and the secret of Simoun as Crisostomo Ibarra was revealed.
Simoun was able to escape and reached the place of Padre
Florentino. He confessed to the priest and before he committed
suicide by drinking poison, he entrusted his box of jewelry to the
priest. Padre Florentino threw the box of jewelry to the sea where
it came from.
 Quiz Time!
1. Who is the main character in the novel Noli Me Tangere?
2. He was the head priest of San Diego for 20 years. He symbolized the abusive
leaders of the church and society.
3. It tackled about the society and government in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonization.
4. Who is the girlfriend of Crisostomo Ibarra?
5. How much did Dr. Maximo Viola give Rizal to help print the novel?
6. Who shot Elias thinking that he was Crisostomo and as the two jumped into the
water, the truth was hidden from the authorities?
7-8. When and where was Noli Me Tangere published?
9-10. Who are the two sons of Sisa?
 Quiz Time!
11. He symbolized the Filipinos who were passive and thought of their welfare first.
12. Who accused Crispin that he got the seven silver coins of the church?
13. Who is the Father of Ibarra?
14. She symbolized the Filipina who always prayed and joined the activities in the
church just to hide her bad attitudes.
15. Who is considered insane in the novel Noli Me Tangere because of his intelligence
and his assertiveness in speaking his mind?
16. This novel encouraged the people who experienced abuse to revenge and seek
for justice using violent means.
17. He was the continuation of the character of Crisostomo from being idealistic, the
cruel society made him pessimistic.
18. Who is the nephew of a good priest named Padre Florentino?
19. True or False. El Filibusterismo is about colonial discrimination and church power.
20. He is a kind of teacher who would get mad if someone could answer his question
and he only accepted answers coming from the book.
 Quiz Time!
21-23. When and where was El Filibusterismo published? And how many chapters does it
have?
24. Who is the farmer who lost his land because of the friars?
25. To whom Rizal dedicated the novel El Filibusterismo?
26. A Spaniard who was placed in the high position in the government even if he was not
educated and did not have enough skills.
27-28. El Filibusterismo is a story of _______ and ________.
29. She was the less fortunate daughter of Cabesang Tales and the girlfriend of Basilio.
30. True or False. Simoun was not able to escape and reached the place of Padre
Florentino.
Thank
You!