Marie Antoinette C.

Miralles July 15, 2019

MWTTHF 7:15 – 9:00 AM Rizal

El Filibusterismo Characters

Simoun - is originally Ibarra, a character thought to have died at the end of Noli Me Tangere,
which took place thirteen years ago. He had come back from Europe to marry Maria Clara. But
after the events of Noli Me Tangere, Ibarra had to fake his death. After that, he swore to get
revenge on his enemies. He dug up the family wealth in a forest and went abroad.

Basillio - is a character who was first introduced in Noli Me Tangere as a child. In El

Filibusterismo, he is an orphan following the deaths of his mother, Sisa, and brother, Crispin.
Chapter 6 of El Filibusterismo explains what happened to him after Noli Me Tangere, revealing
that he went to Manila and, while searching for a master, saw Capitan Tiago in a carriage. He
followed them, and because that was the day that Capitan Tiago’s daughter (Maria Clara) entered
the cloister, Capitan Tiago was depressed and accepted Basilio as a servant.

Isagani - grew up an orphan. His parents are not mentioned, as he was adopted as a child by his
uncle Padre Florentino. Their precise family relationship remains unclear. There are rumors that
Isagani is the son of Padre Florentino’s first love, or a son of Padre Florentino’s cousin.

Kabesang Tales - Aspiring to start his own farm, he suffered great losses. First, his wife and
eldest daughter died while clearing their land. Then most of his land was seized and he was
charged an exorbitant tax on the little left to him. Known to be dependable, he was elected the
kabesa or head of the barangay, which meant often having to appease the higher officials by
shouldering the expenses of those who were unable to pay their taxes. His son was conscripted
by the Civil Guard and his daughter, Juliana, became a servant to help pay off their debts.
Finally, when Simoun comes to pass the night at his house, he takes Simoun's revolver and goes
to join the tulisanes. He murders the friar-adminstrator and the new tenants of his land. Later
Juliana is killed in an encounter with a friar and his father, struck dumb, dies in an encounter
with the Guardia Civil, shot by his own grandson.

Doña Victorina - is a rich Filipina whose source of wealth is unknown. She married Don
Tiburcio de Espedana fifteen years before the events of El Filibusterismo (El Fili). Right after
getting married, she wanted to “Europeanize” herself and managed to do so with make-up, to the
point that many people didn’t know what her race was. Her marriage was not a happy one, and
eventually Don Tiburcio hit her with a crutch and escaped the house, fleeing to Laguna. Dona
Victorina has been looking for him ever since. She resides in Manila and is often seen
accompanying her niece, Paulita Gomez.
Ben Zayb - background is not explained. He is currently a journalist who has his own column,
called “El Grito de la Integridad”. He writes under the name Ibanez. People often call him “Padre
Ybanez” because he looks like a friar, but he denies the resemblance. Throughout El
Filibusterismo (El Fili) he is shown to have a rivalry with Horatius, a writer for “Pyrotecnia”.
Even though he is well-connected and is considered a prominent figure in Manila, Ben Zayb
lives in a basement room shared with other people.

Don Custodio de Salazar y Sanchez deMonteheredondo -  is implied to have been born in the
province because it is stated that he came to Manila when he was young. After getting a good
job, he married a mestiza from a rich family. Due to his skill and personality, he got involved
with the government through many of his contracts. Eventually, he became a councilor, then a
mayor.

Padre Florentino - is the only Indio priest mentioned in El Filibusterismo, since most Indios end
up as priests’ assistants. He used to be considered charming and happy, and was part of a rich
family and his mother forced him to enter the seminary (because of her friendship with the
archbishop). While in school, he became classmates with Senor Pasta. Padre Florentino became a
priest at 25 years old, and when his mother died, she left him his fortune.

Placido Penitente - was originally from Batangas. He was considered a very good student and
was so smart that the parish priest called him a subversive. His father passed away though it is
unclear what the cause of death was, and how old Placido Penitente was when it happened. His
mother, Cabesang Andang, promised his father at some point that Placido Penitente would finish
school and become a lawyer. 

Padre Salvi - Not much is known about Padre Salvi’s past in El Filibusterismo (El Fili).
Following the events of Noli Me Tangere, he is serving as Ecclesiastical Governor (equivalent of
archbishop in current times) and is one of Capitan General’s closest allies.

Paulita Gomez - resides in Manila, having lived there since birth. She is well-known as a rich
heiress, the niece of Dona Victorina and the girlfriend of Isagani. Her parents died when she was
young, making her an orphan who was raised instead by her aunt. Because her family was
always very wealthy, she had a sheltered upbringing and was used to having servants and slaves. 

Juli - was born and raised in San Diego along with two older siblings (Lucia and Tano), by her
father Telesforo (Tales) and his wife (unnamed). After Juli’s father became a farmer and
maintained his own lands, Juli’s older sister and mother eventually died from illness. As Juli
grew up, Tales became more successful and eventually the family moved to Sagpang barrio.

Padre Camorra - Not much is known about Padre Camorra’s personal life other than the fact
that as of the beginning of the book, he serves as the parish priest of Tiani (San Diego).

Tandang Selo - was a woodcutter who lived in the forests of San Diego. Not much is known
about his life before living with his son Tales. After retiring from woodcutting, he started making
brooms. When Tales was an adult and started managing his own farm, Tandang Selo was
supportive and eventually moved with the family to Sagpang barrio, where they currently live.

Juanito Pelaez - is said to have been born an Indio with mestizo  blood. The identity and
whereabouts of his mother are unknown as she is not mentioned. It is suggested that his Spanish
blood was passed down from his father, Don Timoteo Pelaez. Don Timoteo Pelaez is widely
known in Manila, showing that Juanito Pelaez’s family has probably lived there for some time as
that is where their business is based. Don Timoteo Pelaez runs a very successful store that
provides, among many products, construction supplies.

Hermana o Hermana Penchang – Sagpang’s rich pasukal. She offers Huli to be her maid so
the latter can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales.

Quiroga - In El Filibusterismo (El Fili), not much is known about Chinaman Quiroga’s past. It is
implied he has a wife (senora) but she is only mentioned and never seen. It is unknown when
Chinaman Quroga came to the Philippines, but since then he has become a successful
businessman who owns a bazaar and several warehouses. He is a very prominent figure in
Manila and is known by all other characters as being very wealthy and influential.

Pepay - a dancer known as Don Custodio's special friend. Filipino students had to speak to Don
Custodio for their petition to have the Castilian Academy, and they had only two ways. First is
through Senyor Pasta and secondly through Pepay. When they failed with Senyor Pasta, they
approached Pepay who was thrilled with the attention he received because of his friendship with
Don Custodio.

Pecson’s past is not mentioned. He is currently a student and lives in Manila.

Don Tiburcio - Spaniard who speaks with a stutter and looks significantly older than his thirty-
five years. Don Tiburcio came to the Philippines as a customs officer, but was dismissed upon
his arrival. Having very little money to his name, he went to the country provinces of the
Philippines to practice medicine, despite the fact that he had no training as a doctor.

Macaraig - not much is known about Macaraig’s family or past other than the fact that he comes
from a wealthy family, that has multiple large houses in the Philippines. At some point, Macaraig
joined the Students’ Association and decided to help start a petition to establish an Academy for
Spanish. Macaraig is currently studying law, taking it up for the sake of having a degree.

Padre Fernandez - is a Dominican professor at University of Santo Tomas. He has been

teaching for more than eight years.

Sandoval - is a Spaniard who traveled from Spain to the Philippines and is currently a student.
Hermana Bali - the rich and hospitable woman of Juli.
Tadeo - he is currently a student who is a member of the Students’ Association. He is originally
from the province (though his province isn’t revealed) but currently lives in Manila and is a
student.

Capitan Tiago - was an influential businessman in San Diego and the father of Maria Clara.
Betrothing his daughter to Crisostomo Ibarra, Capitan Tiago struggled to obey the will of the
friars.

Tano – Kabesang Tales’s elder son after his older sister, Lucia died in childhood. He is currently
one of the Guardia Civil. He then returned under the name Carolina after his exile in Caroline
Islands.

Mr. Leeds – an American who holds stage plays starring decapitated heads; he is good friends
with Simoun.

Don Timoteo Pelaez - the father of Juanito Pelaez, the student who was loved by the professors.
They belong to a well-known family and Spanish blood.

Padre Millon - a Dominican priest who ended the Psychology but taught Physics. He also
teaches Geography, but still doubts that the world is round. He is also a teacher of Placido in
Physics.

Padre Sibyla - the Dominican priest and former teacher. It was the teacher of Crisostomo Ibarra.
He was introduced to the novel as a parish of the Mountain. This priest secretly tracks the actions
of Crisostomo Ibarra.

Noli Me Tangere Characters

María Clara - whose full name is María Clara de los Santos, is the mestiza heroine in Noli Me
Tángere, a novel by José Rizal, the national hero of the Republic of the Philippines. Her name
and character has since become a byword in Filipino culture for the traditional, feminine ideal.
María Clara is the childhood sweetheart and fiancée of Noli Me Tángere's main protagonist, Juan
Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin, the son of Don Rafael Ibarra. Although raised as the daughter
of Captain Santiago "Kapitán Tiyago" de los Santos and his wife Doña Pía Alba, who are both
native Filipinos.
María Clara is revealed to have been the illegitimate daughter of Padre Dámaso, a Spanish friar,
who coerced Doña Pía into illicit sexual relations. Dámaso is made the girl's godfather; Doña Pía
had died giving birth to Mariá Clara. Kapitán Tiyago's cousin, Tía Isabel, then came to be the
dominant maternal figure in her life. As her beau Crisóstomo Ibarra was studying in Europe,
Kapitan Tiyago sent María Clara to the Beaterio de Santa Clara, a convent school where she
cultivated femininity under religion. Later in the novel, María Clara discovers the truth that
Dámaso is her biological father.
Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin - commonly called Ibarra, is Filipino-Spanish and the only
descendant of the wealthy Spaniard Don Rafael Ibarra. He was born and grew up in the
Philippines, but during his adolescence, spent seven years studying in Europe. Those years
prevented him from knowing what was happening in his country. When he returned to the
Philippines, he found his father had died and the corpse was (supposedly) moved to a Chinese
cemetery (but the body ended up in a river). He heard tales of how helpful and kind his father
had been and decided to honor the memory of his father by doing as his father did.
Padre Dámaso - is one of the notorious characters in the novel Noli Me Tangere. The novel was
written by José Rizal, one of the leaders of the Propaganda Movement in the Philippines. Noli
Me Tangere (Touch Me Not or "Social Cancer") is a controversial and anticlerical novel that
exposed the abuses of the Spanish friars (belonging to the Roman Catholic Church) and
the Spanish elite in colonial Philippines during the 19th century.
The novel, according to the author, represented the state of Philippine society under Spanish
colonial rule. It was intended as a liberal-nationalist wake-up call for the people of the
Philippines. While the natives (indios) were trained to become secular clergy, Spanish priests in
the powerful religious orders were given preferential treatment in the assignment to parishes.
Elias - is probably the most unique personality in Rizal's Noli, much more than Ibarra. He was
created with the love and devotion of Rizal. His past, forged from ignominies is
horrible. Elias vindicates the ignorant, vicious, lazy and egoistic Filipinos that abound in the
novel
Capitan Tiago - A Filipino socialite and well-respected member of the country’s wealthy elite.
Close with high-ranking clergy members like Father Salví and Father Dámaso, Captain Tiago is
one of the richest property owners in Manila and San Diego. He is concerned with making sure
his daughter, María Clara, marries an affluent man with ample social capital, which is one of the
reasons he so quickly abandons his support of Ibarra when the friars disgrace the young man’s
name. As for his own disgrace, Captain Tiago is not actually María Clara’s biological father—
rather, his wife had an affair with Father Dámaso before dying in childbirth. This is perhaps why
he is so concerned with keeping up the appearance of respectability, for his own wife dishonored
him. As such, he is blind to the vapid posturing of people like Doctor de Espadaña, a fraudulent
doctor for rich people, and his wife, Doña Victorina, an obvious social climber. When they
present their nephew Linares as a possible new match for María Clara, Captain Tiago is quick to
assent, thinking that such a pairing will ensure respectability.

Don Filipo - A close relative of Ibarra, and a Filibuster.

Linares - A distant nephew of Don Tiburcio de Espadana, the would-be fiance of Maria Clara.

Captain General (no specific name) - The most powerful official in the Philippines, a hater of
secular priests and corrupt officials, and a friend of Ibarra.
Captain Pablo - The Leader of the rebels, whose family was destroyed because of the Spanish.

Tarcilo and Bruno - Brothers, whose father was killed by the Spaniards.

Sisa - The mother of Basilio and Crispín, who went insane after losing her sons.

Basilio - The elder son of Sisa.

Crispín - The younger son of Sisa who died from the punishment from the soldiers from the
false accusation of stealing an amount of money.

Padre Sibyla - Hernando de la Sibyla, a Filipino friar.  He is described as short and has fair skin.

Kaptain Tiago - Also known in his fullname as Don Santiago de los Santos the known father of
María Clara but not the real one; lives in Binondo.

Padri Salví - Also known in his full name as Bernardo Salví, a secret admirer of María Clara.

Pilosopo Tasyo - Also known as Don Anastasio, portrayed in the novel as a pessimist, cynic,
and mad by his neighbors.

The Alférez - Chief of the Guardia Civil ; mortal enemy of the priests for the power in San
Diego.

Don Tiburcio - Spanish husband of Donya Victorina who is limp and submissive to his wife; he
also pretends to be a doctor.

Doña Victorina - Victorina de los Reyes de De Espadaña, a woman who passes herself off as a
Peninsular.

Doña Consolación - Wife of the Alférez, another woman who passes herself as a Peninsular;
best remembered for her abusive treatment of Sisa.

Pedro - Abusive husband of Sisa who loves cockfighting.

Old Tasio - An older man who Ibarra seeks advice from. The town thinks him mad, but in
actuality he is quite wise.