Summary

EL FILIBUSTERISMO

◈ It is the second novel written by José Rizal as the sequel to Noli Me Tangere, written in Spanish and
consist of 39 chapters — 279 pages of long sheets of paper.
◈ It is dedicated to the three martyred priests of Cavite mutiny. ( GOMBURZA)
◈It took 3 years to write Rizal's second novel.
◈He began writing El Filibusterismo on October 1887 in Calamba. He then revised it in 1888 in London
and continued working on the manuscript in Paris, the book completed on March 29,1891 in Biarritz, and
on September 18, 1981 - the novel was published in Ghent
.

The Objectives of the Novel

‹ To defend Filipino people from foreign accusations of foolishness and lack of knowledge.
‹ To show how the Filipino people lived during Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of his
countrymen against abusive officials.
‹To discuss what religion and belief can really do to
everyday lives.
‹ To expose the cruelties, graft, corruption of the false government and honestly show the wrongdoings of
Filipinos that led to further failure.

The Synopsis of the Novel

‹ It narrates the return of Crisostomo Ibarra, under the disguise of Simoun, with his objective to get
revenge and to start a revolution against Spaniards.
‹ Basilio is recruited by Ibarra to join with his plans to aid him in detonating the bomb at a social
gathering.
‹Isagani who throws the bomb into the river, averting the explosion and revolution.
‹ Simoun commits suicide by taking poison and finds resting place at the home of a priest, Father
Florentino.

CHARACTERS

SIMOUN
•Crisostomo Ibarra in disguise.
•Wealthy jeweler, sporting beard,blue-tinted glasses, and a revolver.
•Secretly plans a revolution to seek
revenge against who wronged him.

MARIA CLARA
◈ She is the girlfriend of Ibarra, the daughter of Kapitan Tiago and Dona Pia Alba,but biologically, her
father is Padre Damaso.

BASILIO
• Graduating medical student, who discovered Simoun’s true identity and befriended him.

ISAGANI
◈ Basilio’s friend and one of the
students who planned to set up a
new school.

JULI
◈ Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio,
and the youngest daughter of Kabesang
Tales.

JUANITO PELAEZ
◈ He is considered by Isagani as his Rival to Paulita Gomez, the woman whom he fell in love.
◈ Placido Peninte, considers him as
“good for nothing” classmate.

PAULITA GOMEZ
◈ Isagani’s girlfriend and the niece
of Dona Victorina.
• She and Juanito Pelaez are end up together and she dumps Isagani,
believing that she will have no
future if she marries him.

KABESANG TALES
◈ Cabeza Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former Cabeza de Barangay of Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego.

FATHER FLORENTINO
◈ Isagani’s godfather, and a secular priest.
◈ He was engaged to be married but chose to be a priest after being pressured by his mother.

MACARAIG
◈ One of Isagani's classmates at the University of Santo Tomas.
◈ A rich student and serves as the leader of the students yearning to build Academia de Castellano.

FATHER CAMORA
◈ The lustful parish priest of Tiani, San Diego's adjacent town who has a long time desires for young
women.
◈He nearly raped Juli causing the latter to commit suicide.

BEN ZAYB
◈A journalist who believes he is the "only" one thinking in the Philippines.

DON CUSTODIO
◈ A famous journalist who was asked by the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano.
◈ In reality, he is just an ordinary man who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila's
high society.

PLACIDO PENITENTE
◈ A wise and intelligent student from University of Santo Tomas who want to stop studying if not only
by his mother's plea to pursue his studies.

GOBERNADOR GENERAL
◈ The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period.
◈ This unnamed character pretends that what he is doing is for the good of the indios.

QUIROGA
◈ A Chinese businessman who dreamed of being a consul for his country in the Philippines.
◈ He hid Simoun's weapons inside his house.

FATHER FERNANDEZ
◈ The priest-friend of Isagani.

PECSON
◈ Classmate of Isagani who had no idea on the happenings occuring around him.
◈ One of those who held a mock celebration at the panciteria attaching the frias.

DONA VICTORINA
◈ Known in Noli Me Tangere as Tiburcio de Espanada's cruel wife.

SANDOVAL
◈ A Spanish classmate of Isagani.
◈ The vice-leader of Macaraig's gang.

FATHER BERNANDO SALVI

PEPAY
◈ A dancer and is always agitated of his boyfriend's plan.
◈ Don Custodio's supposed "girlfriend".
FR. HERNANDO DE LA SIBYLA
◈ A Dominican Friar introduced in Noli Me Tangere.

FATHER IRENE
◈ Captain Tiago's spiritual adviser.

TIBURCIO DE ESPANADA
◈ Victorina de Espanada's lame husband.
◈ He is currently in hiding at father Florentino's house.

HERMANA PENCHANG
◈ Sagpang's rich pusakal (glamber).
◈ The one who offers Juli to be her maid so the latter can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales.

DON TIMOTEO PELAEZ

TANDANG SELO
◈ Father of Kabesang Tales and grandfather of Tano and Juli.
◈ He raised Basilio after he left their house in Noli Me Tangere.
◈ He died in an encounter on the mountains with his son Tales, when he was killed by a battalion that
included his own grandson Tano.

TANO
◈ Kabesang Tales' elder son after his older sister, Luica died in childhood.
◈ He took up the pseudonym "Carolina" after returning from the exile in Caroline Islands, and became a
civil guard.

HERMANA BALI
◈ Another gambler in Tiani.
◈ She became Juli's mother-figure and counselor; helped Kabesang Tales from the hands of bandits.

FATHER MILLION
◈ The physics teacher of the University of Santo Tomas.
◈ Always becomes vindictive with Placido and always taunts him during class.

TADEO
◈ Macaraig's classmate.

LEEDS
◈ An American who holds stage plays starring severed heads.
◈ A good friend of Simoun.
 NOLI VS. EL FILI

Noli Me Tangere
● Romantic Novel
● A Work of Heart
● A Book of Feeling
● It has freshness
● Contains 64 Chapters

El Filibusterismo
● A Political Novel
● A Work of Head
● A Book of Thoughts
● Contains bitterness, color, freshness, humour and hatred, pain, violence, intelligence and sorrow
● Contains 39 Chapters.