Rizal’s Novel

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life and Works of Rizal
 In 1882, Rizal left t h e Philippines t o g o t o Spain b e c a u s e of a s e c r e t
m issio n a t t e st e d b y a d e a l b e t w e e n h im a n d h is o ld e r b ro t h e r Pa c ia n o
M e r c a d o . The h i g h l i ght of t h e d e a l b e t w e e n t h e t w o b r o t h e r s w a s t h a t
on o n e hand, t h e y o u n g Rizal w o u l d h a v e t o o b s e r v e life o v e r s e a s a n d
prepare h i m s e l f t o l i b e r a t e t h e Filipino p e o p l e f r o m t h e t y r a n n i c a l
a b u se o f t h e Sp a n ia rd s.
 Noli Me Tangere and El Filibustersmo emerged as
the founding texts of Philippine Nationalism. These
novels exposed the ills of Spanish colonial
government and the evils prevailing in the
Philippine Society by presenting a narrative that
contextualizes the country in terms of politics,
economy, and culture.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life and Works of Rizal
Objectives in Writing the Novels
1. To defend Filipino people from foreign accusations
of foolishness and lack of knowledge.
2. To show how the Filipino people live during
Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of
his countrymen against abusive officials.
3. To discuss what religion and belief can really do to
everyday lives.
4. To expose the cruelties, graft and corruption of the
false government and honestly show the wrong
doings of Filipinos that led to further failure.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
 NOLI ME TANGERE

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life and Works of Rizal
The Novel
• It is the first novel written by José Rizal during the
colonization of the Philippines by the Spain to
described inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars
and the ruling government.
• It was originally written in Spanish.
• Noli Me Tangere is Latin for “Touch Me Not”
• It consist of 63 chapters

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
History of Novel

• Rizal took 3 years to write his first novel.

• Rizal began writing Noli Me Tangere in January
1884 while he was in Madrid, Spain.
• Rizal finished the novel in February 1887 at
Wilhemsfeld, Germany.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
History of Novel
Rizal finished the novel in February 1887. At first,
according to one of Rizal's biographers, Rizal feared
the novel might not be printed, and that it would
remain unread. He was struggling with financial
constraints at the time and thought it would be hard to
pursue printing the novel.
March 21, 1887 – the novel was published in Berlin,
Germany. Financial aid for publication came from a
friend named Maximo Viola.
Major Characters
Crisóstomo Ibarra
Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin, commonly
referred to in the novel as Ibarra or Crisostomo, is the
novel's protagonist. The mestizo (mixed-race) son of
Filipino businessman Don Rafael Ibarra, he studied in
Europe for seven years. Ibarra is also María Clara's
fiancé.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
María Clara
María Clara de los Santos, commonly referred to as
María Clara, is Ibarra's fiancée and the most beautiful
and widely celebrated girl in San Diego. She was raised
by Kapitán Tiago de los Santos, and his cousin, Isabel.
In the later parts of the novel, she was revealed to be an
illegitimate daughter of Father Dámaso, the former
curate of the town, and Doña Pía Alba, Kapitán Tiago's
wife, who had died giving birth to María Clara.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Kapitán Tiago
Don Santiago de los Santos, known by his nickname
Tiago and political title Kapitán Tiago, is said to be
the richest man in the region of Binondo and
possessed real properties in Pampanga and Laguna de
Baý. He is also said to be a good Catholic, a friend of
the Spanish government and thus was considered a
Spaniard by the colonial elite.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Padre Dámaso

Dámaso Verdolagas, better known as Padre Dámaso,

is a Franciscan friar and the former parish curate of
San Diego. He is notorious for speaking with harsh
words, highhandedness, and his cruelty during his
ministry in the town.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Elías

Elías is Ibarra's mysterious friend and ally. Elías

made his first appearance as a pilot during a picnic of
Ibarra and María Clara and her friends.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Pilósopong Tasyo
Filósofo Tasio (Tagalog: Pilósopong Tasyo) was
enrolled in a philosophy course and was a talented
student, but his mother was a rich but superstitious
matron. Like many Filipino Catholics under the sway
of the friars, he believed that too much learning
condemned souls to hell. She then made Tasyo
choose between leaving college or becoming a priest.
Since he was in love, he left college and married.
Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Doña Victorina

Doña Victorina de los Reyes de de Espadaña,

commonly known as Doña Victorina, is an ambitious
Filipina who classifies herself as a Spaniard and
mimics Spanish ladies by putting on heavy make-up.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Sisa, Crispín, and Basilio

Sisa, Crispín, and Basilio represent a Filipino family
persecuted by the Spanish authorities

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
 EL FILIBUSTERISMO

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life and Works of Rizal
The Novel
• It is the second novel written by José Rizal as the
sequel to Noli Me Tangere.
• It was written in Spanish.
• “The Reign of Greed” and “The Subversive” in
English
• It consist of 38 chapters
• Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to the three
martyred priests of Cavite mutiny. The execution
of the three priests was significant to the title of the
novel.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
History of Novel
• Rizal took 4 years to write his second novel.
• Rizal began writing El Filibusterismo in October
1887 while he was in Calamba.
• In London (1888), he revised the plot and some
chapters. Rizal continued to work on his manuscript
in Paris.
• He later moved to Brussels where the cost of living
was cheaper and he would be less likely to be
distracted by social events so he could focus on
finishing the book.
Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
 • He finally completed the book on March 29, 1891
in Biarritz.
• September 18, 1891- the novel was published in
Ghent, partially funded by Rizal's friend Valentin
Ventura. Rizal immediately sent on this date two
printed copies to Hong Kong- one for Basa and
other for Sixto Lopez
• Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and
an autographed printed copy to Valentin Ventura.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
 • Original manuscript of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting is now
preserved in the Filipiniana Division of the Bureau
of Public libraries in Manila.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Simoun – Crisóstomo Ibarra in disguise, presumed

dead at the end of Noli Me Tángere. Ibarra has
returned as the wealthy jeweler Simoun. His
appearance is described as being tanned, having a
sparse beard, long white hair, and large blue-tinted
glasses. He was sometimes crude and confrontational.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Basilio – son of Sisa and another character from Noli

Me Tángere. In the events of El fili, he is an aspiring
and so far successful physician on his last year at
university and was waiting for his license to be
released upon his graduation. After his mother's death
in the Noli, he applied as a servant in Kapitán Tiago's
household in exchange for food, lodging, and being
allowed to study.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Juli– the girlfriend of Basilio and the youngest

daughter of Kabesang Tales.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Isagani – Basilio's friend. He is described as a poet,

taller and more robust than Basilio although younger.
He is the nephew of Padre Florentino, but is also
rumored to be Florentino's son with his old
sweetheart before he was ordained as a priest.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Paulita Gómez – the girlfriend of Isagani and the

niece of Doña Victorina, In the end, she and Isagani
part ways, Paulita believing she will have
no future if she marries him. She eventually marries
Juanito Peláez.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Father Florentino – Isagani's uncle and a retired

priest. Florentino was the son of a wealthy and
influential Manila family. He entered the priesthood
at the insistence of his mother. As a result he had to
break an affair with a woman he loved, and in despair
devoted himself instead to his parish.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Father Fernández – a Dominican who was a friend

of Isagani. Following the incident with the posters, he
invited Isagani to a dialogue, not so much as a
teacher with his student but as a friar with a Filipino

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Father Bernardo Salví – the former parish priest of

San Diego in Noli Me Tángere, and now the director
and chaplain of the Santa Clara convent.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Father Camorra – The lustful parish priest of Tiani,
San Diego's adjacent town who has longtime desires
for young women. He nearly raped Juli causing the
latter to commit suicide.

Father Írene – Kapitán Tiago's spiritual adviser.

Along with Custodio, Írene is severely criticized as a
representative of priests who allied themselves with
temporal authority for the sake of power and
monetary gain.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Kapitán Tiago – Don Santiago de los Santos. María
Clara's stepfather. Having several landholdings in
Pampanga, Binondo, and Laguna, as well as taking
ownership of the Ibarras‘ vast estate, Tiago still fell
into depression following María's entry into the
convent. He alleviated this by smoking opium, which
quickly became an uncontrolled vice, exacerbated by
his association with Padre Írene who regularly
supplied him with the substance.
Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters
Kabesang Tales –Cabeza Telesforo Juan de Dios, a
former cabeza de barangay (barangay head) of
Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego's neighboring
town Tiani, who resurfaced as the feared Luzón
bandit Matanglawin. He is the son of Tandang Selo,
and father of Juli and Tano.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
Major Characters

Quiroga – a Chinese businessman who aspired to be

a consul for China in the Philippines. Simoun coerced
Quiroga into hiding weapons inside the latter's
warehouses in preparation for the revolution.

Lesson 5
GEd 103 Life a n d Works of Rizal
 The role of the two novels in the d e v e l o p m e n t of
Filipino c o n s c i o u s n e s s c a n never b e d i s c o u n t e d . However,
its s i g n i f i c a n c e in the 21st C e n t u r y h a s g r e a t l y d i m i n i s h e d
c o n s i d e r i n g t h a t the Philippines is no l o n g e r a c o l o n y a n d
h a s lo n g b e e n a n in d e p e n d e n t n a t io n . Ne v e rt h e le ss, m a n y
of the p o i n t s r a i s e d b y Rizal r e m a i n
re le v a n t t o d a y e sp e c ia lly w it h t h e c u rre n t t h re a t s t o
Philippine sovereignty.