CRISOSTOMO IBARRA • Juan Crisostomo Ibarra Y Magsalin • Commonly referred to in the novel as IBARRA or CRISOSTOMO is the nove’s protagonist. • The mestizo (mixed-race). • Son of Filipino businessman Don Rafael Ibarra, • He studied in Europe for seven years. • Ibarra is also Maria Clara’s fiancé. MARIA CLARA DE LOS SANTOS • Commonly referred to as Maria Clara • Ibarra’s fiancée and the most beautiful and widely celebrated girl in San Diego. • She was raised by Kapitan Tiago De Los Santos, and his cousin, Isabel. • In the later parts of the novel she was revealed to be an illegitimate daughter of father Damaso, the former curate of the town and Doña Pia Alba Kapitan Tiago’s wife, who had died giving birth to Maria Clara. KAPITAN TIAGO • Don Santiago De Ios Santos known by his nickname Tiago • And political title Kapitan Tiago is said to be the richest man in the region of Binondo and possessed real properties in Pampanga and Laguna De Bay. • He is also said to be a good Catholic, a friend of the Spanish government and thus was considered a Spaniard by the colonial elite. • Kapitan Tiago never attended school, so he became the domestic helper of a Dominican friar who gave him an informal education. He later married Pia Alba from Santa Cruz. PADRE DAMASO • Damaso Verdolagas better known as Padre Damaso, • A Franciscan friar and the former parish curate of San Diego. • He is notorious for speaking with harsh words highhandedness and his cruelty during his ministry in the town. • An enemy of Crisostomo’s father, Don Rafael Ibarra, Damaso is revealed to be Maria Clara’s biological father. ELIAS • Elias is Ibarra’s mysterious friend and ally. • Elias made his first appearance as a pilot during a picnic of Ibarra and Maria Clara and her friends. • Elia’s grandfather Ingkong in his youth worked as a bookkeeper in a Manila Office. PILISOPONG TASYO • Filisofo Tasio in tagalog Pilosopong Tasyo was enrolled in a philosophy course and was a talented student, but his mother was a rich but superstitious matron. • Like many Filipino Catholics under the sway of the friars, she believed that too much learning condemned souls to hell. She then made Tasyo choose between leaving college or becoming a priest. Since he was in love, he left college and married. DOÑA VICTORIA DE LOS REYES DE DE ESPADAÑA • Commonly known as Doña Victorina, is an ambitious Filipina who classifies herself as a Spaniard and mimics Spanish ladies by outing on heavy make-up. • The novel narrates Doña Victorina’s younger days; She had lots of admirers but she spurned them all because none of them were Spaniards. • Later on she met and married Don Tiburcio de Espadaña, an official of the customs bureau ten years her junior. However their marriage is childless. Narsisa or Sisa • Is the deranged mother of Basilio and Crispin. Described as beautiful and young although she loves her children very much she cannot protect them from the beatings of her husband, Pedro. Crispin • Is SIsa’s seven year old son. • An altar boy. • He was unjustly accused of stealing money from the church. After failing to force Crispin to return the money be allegedly stole. • Father Salvi and the head sacristan killed him. Basilio • Is Sisa’s 10-year old son. • An acolyte tasked to ring church’s bells for the Angelus. • He faced the dread of losing his younger brother and the descent of his mother into insanity “Due to their tragic but endearing story these characters are often paradied in modern Filipino popular culture.” Simoun Crisóstomo Ibarra in disguise, presumed dead at the end of Noli Me Tángere. Ibarra has returned as the wealthy jeweler Simoun. His appearance is described as being tanned, having a sparse beard, long white hair, and large blue-tinted glasses. Basilio Son of Sisa and another Noli Me Tángere figure. In El Fili's story, the protagonist, an ambitious and thus far successful doctor, is in his final year of study and is awaiting the issue of his license following graduation. He requested a position as a servant in Capitán Tiago's home after his mother passed away in the Noli in exchange for food, lodging, and the ability to pursue his studies. He eventually decided to pursue medicine, and once Tiago resigned from public life, he took up the management of Tiago's sizable fortune. He is a calm, thoughtful man who is more concerned with his immediate responsibilities as a doctor, student, and servant than he is with politics or patriotic aspirations. Isagani A Pal of Basilio. He is defined as a poet who is younger than Basilio but taller and more powerful. He is Padre Florentino's nephew, but there are rumors that he is also Florentino's offspring from a previous relationship before he was consecrated as a priest. Isagani is finishing up his studies at the Ateneo Municipal and preparing to study medicine throughout the events of the book. Isagani, a student association member, is arrogant and ignorant, and he frequently puts himself in danger when his principles are offended. Father Florentino Isagani's uncle and a retired priest. Florentino was the son of a wealthy and influential Manila family. Father Fernandez A Dominican who was a friend of Isagani. Following the incident with the posters, he invited Isagani to a dialogue, not so much as a teacher with his student but as a friar with a Filipino. Kapitan Tiago Don Santiago de los Santos. María Clara's father. Having several landholdings in Pampanga, Binondo, and Laguna, as well as taking ownership of the Ibarras' vast estate, Tiago still fell into depression following María's entry into the convent. Captain-General The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The Captain-General in the novel is Simoun's friend and confidant, and is described as having an insatiable lust for gold. Father Bernardo salvi The former parish priest of San Diego in Noli Me Tángere, and now the director and chaplain of the Santa Clara convent. Father Millon A Dominican who serves as a physics professor in the University of Santo Tomás. Quiroga A Chinese businessman who aspired to be a consul for China in the Philippines. Simoun coerced Quiroga into hiding weapons inside the latter's warehouses in preparation for the revolution. Don Custodio Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a well-known "contractor," was asked by the CaptainGeneral to create the students' association's proposal for a school for the instruction of Spanish, but he was also under pressure from the priests to uphold their rights as the sole providers of education. Ben Zayb A columnist for the Manila Spanish newspaper El Grito de la Integridad. Ben-Zayb is his pen name and is an anagram of Ybáñez, an alternate spelling of his last name Ibáñez. His first name is not mentioned. Father Camorra The parish priest of Tiani. Ben-Zayb's regular foil, he is said to look like an artilleryman in counterpoint to Ben-Zayb's friar looks. Father Írene Capitán Tiago's spiritual adviser. Along with Don Custodio, Írene is severely criticized as a representative of priests who allied themselves with temporal authority for the sake of power and monetary gain. Placido Penitente A student of the University of Santo Tomas who had a distaste for study and would have left school if it were not for his mother's pleas for him to stay. Paulita Gómez The niece of Doa Victorina, the elderly Indio who poses as a Peninsular and is the mistress of quack physician Tiburcio de Espada, and the girlfriend of Isagani. Paulita believes that if she marries Isagani, she will never have a future. As a result, they split ways. Later, she weds Juanito Peláez. Kabesang Tales Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay of Barrio Sagpang in Tiani. He was a sugarcane planter who cleared lands he thought belonged to no one, losing his wife and eldest daughter in the endeavor. Tandang Selo Father of Kabesang Tales and grandfather of Tano and Juli. A deer hunter and later a broom-maker, he and Tales took in the young, sick Basilio who was then fleeing from the Guardia Civil. Juli Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales. When Tales was captured by bandits, Juli petitioned Hermana Penchang to pay for his ransom. Tano Kabesang Tales's son, second to Lucia who died in childhood. He was nicknamed "Carolino" after returning from Guardia Civil training in the Carolines. Hermana Penchang The one among the "rich folks" of Tiani who lent Juli money to ransom Kabesang Tales from the bandits. In return, Juli will serve as her maid until the money was paid off. Hermana Báli Juli's mother-figure and counselor. She accompanied Juli in her efforts to secureKabesang Tales' ransom and later on Basilio's release. Plot On the winding road of the Pasig River there is a Tabo Boat traveling. It carries many people going to Laguna. Some of those on the boat were Simoun, Basilio, Isagani, and some priests. Basilio first went to his own grave when it arrived in San Diego. There he saw the jeweler Simoun. When he removed his glasses, he recognized that it was Juan Crisostomo Ibarra. Simoun tried to kill Basilio so that his secret would not come out. But he thought that the consequences were the same so he urged Basilio to join in the revenge plan against the Spanish Government. But this was rejected by Basilio. Filipino students petitioned the Captain General to build a Spanish language academy. But it was not adopted because priests were in charge of it. When Simoun regained control of Basilio, he again convinced the young man to join the rebellion. Simoun plans to make a crowd to force their way into the convent to get Maria Clara back. Unfortunately, this did not happen because the young woman also lost her life that evening. Meanwhile, the students had a meeting, at the Panciteria owned by the Chinese Quiroga, because they were upset with the failure of their obedience regarding the establishment of the Spanish language academy. The priests learned of the students' outright condemnation of them through a speech also inside the Panciteria. The next morning, the papers on the University door containing the rebellions could be seen. The students were accused of being part of the association and they were arrested along with Basilio. Hermana Bali urges Huli to approach Padre Camorra to ask for help in freeing Basilio. Their relatives freed the students except Basilio. Padre Camorra raped Huli causing the girl to jump out of the window and die instantly. On the other hand, Simoun continued his revenge plan. To accomplish that, he joined the business of Don Timoteo Pelaez, Juanito's father. He agreed to marry Paulita to Juanito. He invited people with high positions in the government to the banquet. Two months later, Basilio was freed with Simoun's help, which is why he completely joined Simoun's rebellion plan. Simoun took advantage of the upcoming feast to carry out the rebellion. He presented an elegant lamp for the bridegroom. They now know that the lamp only had is nitroglycerin. When the wick is raised it will explode loudly. While everyone was having fun, Basilio was walking outside. He was restless because he knew the explosion was about to happen. He saw that Simoun had also left the house because of the impending explosion of the lamp. He also saw Isagani and told him to leave that house. The light of the lamp gradually dimmed. The Captain General ordered Father Irene to raise its wick but Isagani quickly grabbed it and threw it into the river. Simoun's plan didn't work so he ran away and went to Father Florentino's house. Simoun drank poison because he didn't want the civilians to catch him. He confessed to Father Florentino about his life and his plan for revenge. At that same time, Simoun lost his life. Father Florentino went to the rock where Isagani always sat near the sea and threw all of Simoun's treasures.
