CHARACTERS OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO

NAME DESCRIPTION WHO THEY REPRESENT IN

REAL LIFE
1. Simoun Crisostomo Ibarra in disguise; returned as the Represents the
wealthy jeweler. Become the titular revolutionaries during that
"filibustero", pretending to be an arrogant time who supported the idea
elitist and to side with the upper class sought of holding bloody revolt
revenge against the Spanish regime by against the Spanish
masterminding a revolution as well as hasten government.
Elias' reformist goals.
2. Basilio After his mother's death, he applied as a Represents the young
servant in Kapitan Tiago in exchange for food, educated Filipinos who are
lodging, and being allowed to study. apathetic to the needs of the
becomes an exceptional medical student; society.
reluctant at first, but the death of his Juliana
drives him to fight wholeheartedly
3. Isagani Basilio’s best friend; a budding poet; plans to Represents the youth who,
establish a school wherein indios such as despite their being very
themselves may learn Spanish. When Isagani aggressive and idealistic,
allows himself to be arrested after their cannot be relied on in times of
association is outlawed, Paulita leaves him. adversity.
4. Cabesang A farmer owning a sugarcane plantation; was Represents the natives and
Tales forced to give everything to a bunch of farmers of today whose
unscrupulous Spanish friars. He later joined lands were seized by the the
the bandits and became one of their fiercest government and rich people.
commanders.
5. Don A famous journalist; good debater, he hates Represents opportunist
Custodio when others also believe in what he believes because taking advantage of
in and praises the indios in public, yet opportunities as they arise.
denigrates them in private.
6. Paulita girlfriend of Isagani; dumps Isagani, believing Represents the women who
Gomez that she’ll have no future if she marries him so have no sense of
she ended up marrying Juanito Palaez nationalism and sympathy
towards others.
7. Padre Isagani's godfather, and a secular priest, well Represents the secular
Florentino respected by his peers, even by Spanish friars Filipino priests in Rizal's
and officials. He is the priest whom Simoun time because of his
confides to at the end of the story. disapproval of a bloody revolt.

8. Kapitán Fell into depression after María's entry into the

Represents the rich Filipinos
Tiago convent; He alleviated this by smoking opium,
who oppress their fellow
which quickly became an uncontrolled vice. Filipinos in exchange for the
Tiago died of shock upon hearing of Basilio's
influence and the riches that
arrest and Padre Írene's embellished stories of
they might gain from their
violent revolt. powerful associations.
9. Father Now the director and chaplain of Santa ClaraRepresents the clergy during
Bernardo the time who disguise the
convent. In spite of reports of Ibarra's death,
Salví yearnings of the flesh under the
Salví believes that he’s still alive and lives in
fear of his revenge. authority of the Church to get
what they want.
10. Father a Dominican introduced in Noli Me Tángere Represents liberal friar bec.
Hernando who now serves as the director and chaplain He’s open minded; cares
de la Sibyla of the University of Santo Tomas. about his congregation power
SUMMARY OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO

Crisostomo Ibarra is back as Simoun. He came back to the Philippines as Senor

Simoun, disguised with a beard. He becomes hungry for vengeance for all the misfortune
our country has suffered under the tyranny of the Spaniards. He discovers that his lover,
Maria Clara, died in the convent, he becomes all the more furious. He encourages the
government to make bad decisions and to abuse their power so that it would spark a
revolution among the masses. Basilio, is at first reluctant to join in on Simoun’s idea but ends
up being part of the plan. Simoun started planning uprisings. At the wedding reception of
newlyweds, Simoun tells Basilio that his plan was to conceal an explosive inside a Kerosene
lamp that Simoun will give to the newlyweds as a gift. The reception will take place at the
former home of Captain Tiago, which was now filled with explosives planted by Simoun.
Simoun leaves the reception early and leaves a note with the words: “Mene Thecel
Phares” which means “the future is predetermined” and is generally implied that a bad event
is going to happen. Simoun signed it with his real name “Juan Crisostomo Ibarra”. The
people at the reception were shocked because Ibarra is supposedly dead. Outside the
house, Basilio was about to walk away because he knew the lamp was going to explode
anytime soon when he saw Isagani, the still heart-broken ex-boyfriend of the bride. Isagani
said that he just wanted to congratulate the newly-weds. Basilio who then feared for the
safety of his friend told him about the plan of Simoun. Isagani ran to the house. A priest was
about to fix the lamp but once Isagani got in, he found the lamp and threw it out the window
into the river. Since the guards were chasing Isagani, he himself jumped out of the window
into the river as well. The band got caught and confessed that Simoun lead them. Ibarra was
now wanted both as himself and as Simoun. Days passed and a good priest found Simoun
walking along the shore, wounded and weak. The noble priest tended to Simoun while the
latter explained that he is Ibarra and that he was greatly saddened and angry due to the
failure of the revolution and that he was questioning God as to why he was the one who is
suffering and not the ones who have forsaken the people of the Philippines. Ibarra died as
he weakly held the hand of the priest. The latter blessed the former and threw away all the
remaining jewels of Ibarra in the hopes that they may always be used for good.

References:
Wikiwand.(2018). “El filibusterismo”. Retrieved from: wikiwand.com/en/El_filibusterismo
Leas, S., (2016). “Summary: El Filibusterismo”. Retrieved from:
https://shairaleasprd.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/summary-el-filibusterismo/
Jose Rizal's Legacy. (2013). “Characters Of El Fili and There Background”. Retrieved from:
facebook.com/550803318292937/posts/