Activity 1
The Setting
I. Answer these questions pertaining to the setting of the novel. (10pts)
1. Is the novel set in a particular time period?
Noli Me Tangere is a novel by José Rizal, one of the Philippines' national heroes. The novel
takes place in the Philippines in the nineteenth century, notably in Manila, during the country's
final years as a Spanish colony in Asia.
2. Where do the events take place? Are there multiple locations?
The book is a comprehensive and passionate expose of the cruelty and corruption of Spanish
authority in the Philippines (1565–1898), published in Spanish. Crisostomo Ibarra returns to the
Philippines after seven years studying in Europe, and the story opens during a celebration to
welcome him back.
II. After reading the novel, complete the table to describe the setting of the novel. Cite the chapters
where the descriptions appear. (20pts)
Aspects Description
Located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California,
The town of San Diego San Diego is widely known as “America's Finest City.” Famous for
its miles and miles of white-sand beaches and amazing weather,
the city offers an abundance of fun attractions for visitors of all
ages.
Kapitan Tiyago's house was described as being in Daang
The house of Capitan Tiago Anloague (Anloague Street) near one of the streaming rivulets
of Pasig River called Binundok River. The news of such was like
a thunder that traveled all over–invited or not, everyone wanted to
be at the party.
Manila, capital and chief city of the Philippines. The city is the
Manila centre of the country's economic, political, social, and cultural
activity. It is located on the island of Luzon and spreads along the
eastern shore of Manila Bay at the mouth of the Pasig River.
The Pasig River (Filipino: Ilog Pasig) is a river in the Philippines
Pasig River that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25.2
kilometers (15.7 mi), it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and
its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves.
1: the inhabitants of a town or city : townsmen
The townspeople 2: town-dwelling or town-bred persons
In the Christian church, the clergy is the entire class of religious
The Church and the clergy officials, from priests to pastors to bishops and beyond. If you have
a sense that your life path lies in helping others practice their faith,
you should go into the clergy. Clergy comes from the word clerk,
which in turn comes from cleric.
Activity 2
The Characters
I. Character relationship map
After reading the novel, make a character map of the main characters listed below. Describe
each of the characters and write your impressions about them. Afterwards, connect the characters to
each other by stating their relationship in terms of the roles or parts they play in the story. Make a
creative presentation. (30pts)
MARIA CLARA is the childhood
JUAN CRISOSTOMO sweetheart and fiancée of Noli
IBARRA Y MAGSALIN, Me Tángere's main
commonly referred to protagonist, Juan Crisóstomo
in the novel as Ibarra Ibarra y Magsalin, the son of
or Crisostomo, is the
novel's protagonist.
The mestizo (mixed-
race) son of Filipino DONA PIA ALBA was the wife of
businessman Don Capitan Tiago and the mother of
Rafael Ibarra, he Maria Clara. A woman of wealth
studied in Europe for and status, she had her husband
seven years. Ibarra is buy land in San Diego, greatly
also María Clara's
expanding their business
fiancé. CAPITAN TIAGO was an
operations.
influential businessman
in San Diego and the
father of Maria Clara.
ELIAS was a fugitive living in Betrothing his daughter PADRE DAMASO was the
San Diego. Enduring one to Crisostomo Ibarra, former town curate of San
tragedy after another, he began Diego and the real father
working to improve society. of Maria Clara. Opposing
After his life was saved by his daughter's marriage to
PADRE SALVI was the town Crisostomo Ibarra, the
Crisostomo Ibarra, he began curate of San Diego and the
aiding the young man, saving man made efforts to drive
successor of Padre Damaso. the two apart for Maria
him on numerous occasions. Possessing a rivalry with the Clara's sake.
town's alferez, he later
orchestrated the downfall
DONA VICTORINA was a of Crisostomo Ibarra,
socialite and friend of SISA, is the deranged mother
manipulating the
Capitan Tiago. She along of Basilio and Crispín.
townspeople in the process.
with her husband Don Described as beautiful and
Tiburcio sought to young, she loves her children
associate themselves very much but cannot protect
BASILIO is the son of Sisa and them from beatings by her
with the influential Pedro, and the older brother of
figures of San Diego in husband, Pedro.
Crispin. He is the only remaining
order to gain further member of his family due to the
social status. turn of events thirteen years ago.
II. Noli and colonial society The character in Noli Me Tangere
Complete the table below by identifying what the major characters in Noli Me Tangere
named Mang PILOSOPO TASIO was
symbolize
SCHOOL MASTER in relation
a teacher to colonial
whom Philippine
Don Rafael society.
supported, (20pts)
helping him find the old Don Anastacio of his home
a house and enabling him to properly do his job. town.
Character Symbolism
Crisostomo Ibarra exemplify division that José Rizal had in for the youth
Crisostomo of the Philippines during his time others attribute Ibarra as Rizal’s
Ibarra reflection of himself
Maria Clara symbolizes the purity and innocence of a sheltered native
Maria Clara woman during the time of Spanish occupation she does not value material
things that were abundantly bestowed open her by Myers and family alike
but holds in highest in her parent’s honor and the promise he had given
too sweetheart.
Kapitan Tiago as typical character during the time of Jose Rizal he is a
Capitan Tiago rich native-born Filipino who rubs elbows with the powers that be during
that time he symbolizes the rich Filipinos so oppressed your fellow
countrymen in exchange for the influence and the richest that they might
gain from the powerful associations.
He symbolizes the Spanish friars of Rizal’s time and is a comment on the
Padre Damaso Spanish control of the Philippines
Sisa Sisa is thought to have represented the motherland was suffering is your
character have suffered with the loss of which children the tragic events
that true and her life represented abused that the motherland receives from
her colonizers
Tasio symbolizes the line Filipinos who had once embraced the culture of
Pilosopo Tasio the Spanish regime gradually became disenchanted when they return to
the Philippines that serve the stark contrast their countrymen receive from
the colonizer is the most determining the morally become is eccentric to
the masses be seek to enlighten
as one of the lesser evils in the novel Donya Victorina symbolize in those
Doña Victorina you have a distorted view of their identity everything that is indigenous in
inferior and everything foreigners. it is the comedic form of "colonial
mentality"
Basilio is a character who was first introduced in Noli Me Tangere as a
Basilio child. In El Filibusterismo, he is an orphan following the deaths of his
mother, Sisa, and brother, Crispin.
