N o l i M e Tanger e P u b lished i n B e r l i n

( 18 8 7 )
 Legendary Santa Claus

D r. M a x i m o V i o l a – R i z a l ’s f r i e n d f r o m B u l a c a n ,

a r r i v e d i n B e r l i n a t t h e h e i g h t of his

d e s p o n d e n c y a n d l o a n e d h i m t h e n e e d e d fu n d s
to p u b l i s h t h e
novel.
Ide a o f Writing a N o v e l o n t h e
Philippines

H a r r i e t B e e c h e r S t o w e ’s Uncle T om’s Cabin – book which

p o r t r a y s t h e b r u t a l i t i e s of A m e r i c a n slave – owners a n d
t h e p a t h e t i c c o n d i t i o n s of t h e u n fo rtu nate Negro slaves.
 Madrid o n January 2, 1 8 8 4
R i z a l p r o p o s e d t h e w r i t i n g of a novel a b o u t t h e
Philippines.

A p p r o v e d by:
P a t e r n o s ( Pe d r o, Maximino, a n d Antonio)
G r a c i a n o Lopez J a e n a
Evaristo Aguirre
Eduardo de Lete
Julio Llorente
Melecio Figueroa
Va l e n t i n Ve n t u r a

1
 M adrid o n Jan uary 2,
18 8 4
R izal’s p roj e c t di d not materialize. Due to:

C o m p a t r i o t s who were e x p e c ted to collaborate on

the n ov el did not write anything.

H o w e v e r, m o s t of t h e m w a nted to write on women.

W a s t e d thei r t i m e in g a m b l i ng or fl irting with

Spanish señoritas.

He w a s d i s g u s te d a n d d e c i d e d to write the novel

alone.
 The Writing of the Noli

1884 – Rizal s t a r ted the novel in Madrid.

1885 - C e n t r al University of Madrid.

1886 - A p r i l - J u n e , 1886 - Wilhemsfeld, Germany

 Vi o l a , S a v i o r o f t h e N o l i
M a x i m o Vi ol a – a r r i v e d in Berli n a day before
Christmas Day of 1887.

He w a s s h o c ke d w h e n he found R izal living in poverty

and d e p l o r a b l y sick d u e to lack of nourishment.

S e e i n g his frien d’s struggle a n d poor condition, he

gladly lend h i m a h a n d . He l o a n e d him some cash for
living
e x p e n s e s a n d a s well a s fundi ng the printing cost of
his novel.
 Vi o l a , S a v i o r o f t h e N o l i
After C h r i s t m a s s e a s o n , Rizal put the fi nishing
touches on his Novel.

To s a v e printi ng e x p e n s e s , he deleted certain

passages a n d c h a p t er of “Elias a n d S a l o m e ” .

Fe b r u a r y 21, 1887 – the n ove l was fi nally fi nished

and ready for printing.

They m a n a g e d to fi nd c h e a p printing shop:

Berliner
B u c h d r u c k r e i – Ac ti on – G e sselschaft. Charging
them with onl y 300 pesos for 2, 000 copies of the
novel.
Rizal Suspected as French Spy
In old d a y s of t r a v e l , it w a s possible to travel

from a n o t h e r c o u n t r y w i t h o ut having a
passport.

This l e a d t h e G e r m a n P o l i c e to suspect as a
French
S p y b e c a u s e Riza l d o e s n ’ t h a v e a ny passport to
show.

H o w e v e r, V i o l a q u i c k l y a c c o m p a n i e d Rizal to
Rizal Suspected as French Spy

B e i n g fl uent in G e r m a n L a n g u a ge, he explained to

the p o l i c e c h i e f t h a t he w a s not a French Spy, but

was a
Filipino p h ysician and scientist.

The c h i e f w a s i m p r e s s e d by his explanation and

fascinated by his mastery of the German
Language a n d p e r s o n a l c h a r i s m a , so t he police
P rin tin g o f the No li
Fin
M a r ishe d – the Noli Me Ta ngere came of the press.
c h 21, 1887
Imme diately, Rizal sent the first copies to his
close friends:
Blumentritt
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
G. Lopez
Jaena
Mariano
Ponce Felix
Hidalgo

M a r c h 29, 1887 – Rizal g a v e Viola the galley proofs of

the Noli carefully ro lled around th e pen that he used

 T h e Title of the Novel
N o l i M e T a n g e r e – is a la tin p h rase which means “Touch

M e N o t ” . It is, h o w e v e r, not origi nally conceived by

Rizal, for he a d m i t t e d taking it from the Bible.

M a r c h 5, 1887 – Rizal, wrote to Felix R. Hidalgo and

said: “The words were t a ke n from the Gospel of
Saint Luke,
sig nify “do not touch m e ” ” .

H o w e v e r, Riza l m a d e a m i s t a k e. It should be the

Gospel of J o h n ( C h a p t e r 20, verses 13 to 17.

Rizal d e d i c a t e d his Noli Me Ta ngere to the Philippines

 Syn o p sis o f the
No li
The characters:

C a p i t a n Tiago ( S a n t i a g o de los Santos) – father of

Maria C l a ra and a friend of Ibarra.
C r i s o s t o m o I b a r r a – a y o u n g and rich Filipino who
had just re tu rn e d after s e v e n y e a rs of study in
Europe. The only son of D on R a f a e l I b a r r a . A fi ance
of Maria Clara.
Pa d r e D a m a s o – a fat Fr a n ciscan friar who had
been p a ri s h pr iest for 20 y e a r s of San Diego
(Calamba).
Pa d r e S y b i l a – a y o u n g D ominican parish priest
of Binondo.
S e ñ o r G u e v a r a – a n elderly a nd kind lieutenant of
the Guardia Civil.
 Syn o p sis o f the
No li
The characters:
Don Tiburcio d e E s p a d a ñ a – a b ogus Spanish
physician, l a m e , a n d h e n p e c k e d h usband of Doña
Victoria.
M a r i a C l a r a – c h i l d h o od faithful sweetheart of
C r i s o s t o m o I b a r r a , a good friend and obedient
daughter.
S h e symb olizes purity a n d innocence of a
sheltered native woman.
Pa d r e S a l v i – Fr a n c i s c a n p arish priest of San
Diego.
Tasio the Ph ilosopher (Pi l os opo Tasio) – wise
oldman whose i d e a s were to a d v a n c e d for his times
liberal
so that the 2
p e o p l e , who c o u l d not u n d e r s t a n d him and called him
faction.
 Syn o p sis o f the
No
The c h a r a c t e r s : li
D o n M e l c h o r – t h e c a p t a i n of t h e cuadri l l eros ( t o w n
pol i ce) .
D o n B a s i l i o a n d D o n V a l e n t i n – f o r m e r gober nador ci l l os
a n d w e r e p r o m i n e n t citizens.
S i s a – t h e t a l e o f s i s a – f o r m e r l y a rich girl who m a r r i e d a
g a m b l e r a n d b e c a m e p o o r . She’s also t h e d e r a n g e d
m o t h e r of Basilio a n d Crispin.
B a s i l i o – a n a c o l y t e ( s e r v a n t ) t a s k e d to ring t h e c h u r c h
b e l l s f o r t h e A n g e l u s . A c c used of c r i m e s he did not
commit.
C r i s p i n – a n a l t a r b o y a n d w h o w a s as well a c c u s e d of
s t e a l i n g m o n e y f r o m t h e church.
3
 Syn o p sis o f the
No
The c h a r a c t e r s : li
D o ñ a C o n s o l a c i o n – t h e v u l g a r mi stress of t h e Spanish
Alferez.
D o ñ a V i c t o r i n a – t h e f l a m b o y a n t l y dressed wife of a
h e n p e c k e d Spanish q u a c k doctor.
Elias – d i s t r u s t s h u m a n j u d g m e n t a n d prefers God’s
j u s t i c e i n s t e a d . H e p r e f e r s a r e v ol ut i on over t h e reforms.

P i a A l b a – a y o u n g b e a u t i f u l a n d spi r i t ual w o m a n . M a r i a
C l a r a ’s m o t h e r.
G o b e r n a d o r H e n e r a l - o ccupies t h e second m o s t
p o w e r f u l r a n k i n t h e c o l o n i a l g o v e r n m e n t , second only to
t h e k i n g S u p p o r t e d I b a r r a a g a i n s t Padre D a m a s o .
 Syn o p sis o f the
No li
The c h a r a c t e r s :

A l f e r e z – l i e u t e n a n t of t h e G u a r d i a Civil.
A l f o n s o L i n a r e s – c o u s i n of D o n Tiburcio a n d godson of
P a d r e D a m a s o ’s b r o t h e r – in – l a w.

5
 T h e “ N o l i ” B a s e d o n Tr u t h
A t r u e s t o r y of P h i l i p p i n e c o n d i t i o n d u r i n g t h e l ast d e c a d e s of
Spanish rule.

T h e p l a c e s , t h e c h a r a c t e r s , a n d t h e si t uat i ons r e a l l y existed.

T h e c h a r a c t e r s w e r e a l l d r a w n b y R izal persons who a c t u a l l y

existed.

C h a r a c t e r s in reality:
M a r i a C l a r a – Leonor Rivera

I b a r r a a n d Elias – r e p r e s e n t e d b y Rizal h i m s e l f

Ta s i o t h e P h i l o s o p h e r – e l d e r b r o t h e r of Rizal, Paciano.
 T h e “ N o l i ” B a s e d o n Tr u t h
C h a r a c t e r s in reality:
M a r i a C l a r a – Leonor
I b a r r a a n d Elias – r e p r e s e n t e d b y Rizal h i m s e l f
Ta s i o t h e P h i l o s o p h e r – e l d e r b r o t h e r of Rizal, Paciano.
P a dre Salvi – Padre Antonio
C a p i t a n T i a g o – C a p i t a n Hilario Sunico
D o ñ a V i c t o r i n a – Doña A g u s t i n a M e d e l
Basilio a n d Crispin – w e r e t h e
C r i s o s t o mo brothers of Hag on o y.
P a d r e D a m a s o – t y p i c a l d o m i n e e r i n g friar, a r r o g a n t , i m m o r a l
a n d a n t i – Filipino.
Missing Chapter of the Noli

I n t h e o r i g i n a l m a n u s c r i p t o f Noli M e Ta n g e r e ,

t h e r e w a s a c h a p t e r e n t i t l e “ E l ias a n d S a l o m e ”
which
f o l l o w s C h a p t e r XXIV “In t h e Wo o d s”.

D e l e t e d b y R i z a l so i t w a s n o t i n c l u d e d in t h e p r i n t e d

n o v e l . His r e a s o n w a s d e f i n i t e l y e c o n o m i c :

By r e d u c i n g t h e c h a p t e r w o u l d its cost of p r i n t i n g .
Riz al’s Frie n ds P raise the
NoFriends
li of Rizal hailed t h e novel, praising it in glowing colors.
However, Rizal’s enemies condemned it.

Rizal wrote to Blument ritt – “The g o v e r nment and the friars will
p ro b a b ly a t t a c k t h e wo rk, refuting m y s t atements, but I trust in the
God o f Truth a n d in t h e p erson who h a v e a ctually seen our sufferings.”

Blum entritt read Rizal’s novel and praised and said “As we Germa n s

s a y – written with t h e bl ood of t h e h e a r t a n d so the heart also speaks.”

Rizal bei ng an extraordinary person.

Dr. An tonio M a . Regidor – a filipino patri ot and lawyer exiled due to his
T h a n k Yo u ! !