Characters of El Filibusterismo Simoun – Crisostomo Ibarra, believed to be dead at the end of Noli Me Tangere, made his fortune abroad and returns to the Philippines as the wealthy jeweller, Simoun, disguised with a beard and tinted glasses. His sufferings, related in the first novel, have motivated him to take his revenge. Hence he becomes a rebel, the titular "filibustero". While he appears to side with the wealthy and influential in society, his motivation is actually to encourage them to abuse the masses who would then be driven to revolt by increasing abuses. Whereas he once sought reform and education, he now resorts to subterfuge and violence. Basilio – Taking to heart the advice of the dying boatman Elias to study at the end of Noli Me Tangere, he went to Manila after burying his mother. There, he was taken in by Capitan Tiago and was able to go to San Juan de Letran. Though a diligent student, he failed to please his teachers, who were affronted by the efforts of a poor native to improve his status in life. His situation in the school improved when his skill in a fencing match impressed one of his teachers. Having high grades, he was encouraged by Capitan Tiago to move to Ateneo, where the teachers were more enlightened and encouraging. While there he pursued a medical degree and became involved in a movement of some students, headed by Isagani, to set up a school for the teaching of Spanish to natives. At the time of Simoun's arrival, he is looking forward to graduating as valedictorian then marrying his childhood sweetheart, Juliana. Isagani – The best friend of Basilio, he is a poor law student and poet. He has little fear of authority and speaks openly of his patriotic ideals, becoming the leader of a group of students who plan to set up a school for the teaching of Spanish to natives. With his idealism, he clashes with the cynical Simoun. He is in love with the spoiled, flirtatious Paulita Gomez, against the advice of his uncle and guardian Padre Florentino. Makaraig – The rich student who offered his own house as the dormitory of the students studying in Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He leads the students with Isagani to set up a Spanish school, but later they were defeated in the movement. 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-administrator 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. Padre Florentino – A secular Filipino priest. Pressured by his mother, he became a priest even though he was in love. After his former sweetheart married a worthless man, he devoted himself to his priestly duties and the study of natural sciences. He prefers to live alone on his family's remote seaside property than to maintain the position of curate, which suggests his strong character in avoiding the temptations of a prestigious position and high income. Through his words to the dying Simoun, he reaffirms Rizal's stance that liberation must be achieved not through bloody revolution but through peaceful reforms. Don Custodio – A high official in the government, he has held many posts, many of which he had no qualifications for. He used his rich wife's money to secure such positions. He has a mistress, a dancer named Pepay, on whom people rely for assistance in swaying Don Custodio when they need a favor from him. Paulita Gomez – A beautiful girl who is admired by all the students, she at first shows preference for Isagani. But she is thrown into the company of Juanito Pelaez because her aunt, the ridiculous Doña Victorina Noli Me Tangere, has taken an interest in the young heir, even contemplating marrying him if her runaway husband were found to be dead. Eventually the self-centered Paulita chooses to marry the amusing Juanito rather than the serious Isagani. Her romantic dilemma is similar to that faced by Rizal's real-life sweetheart Leonor Rivera. Juli – Juliana, Kabesang Tales's daughter and Basilio's sweetheart is known by the nickname Juli. Devoted to Basilio, when her family falls into debt she decides to become a servant rather than sell the locket he had given her, once a possession of Maria Clara's that had fallen into his hands. Pure and innocent, she is nevertheless aware of the curate's reputation as a womanizer. But she is made to feel by a devout, busybody neighbor woman that she has no other recourse but to ask his help in freeing Basilio. After much hesitation she approaches the friar, only to end up getting fatally injured running from him.
Theme As with Noli Me Tangere, Rizal seeks to expose the current situation in the Philippines in El Filibusterismo. Similar issues are raised: the need for reform in education, superstition masquerading as religion, the abuses of the friars, the corruption of officials, and the pretensions of social-climbing natives and Spaniards. As in Noli, Rizal uses satire and caricature, but there is less humour, more bitterness in his treatment of situations. The main theme focused on by El Filibusterismo is the ideal means of achieving social reform. A number of chapters have long dialogues that seem like debates, pitting Rizal's fading hopes for reform against his long-held aversion to revolution. The latter still seems to win out, as the novel ends with Simoun's failure at revolution and Padre Florentino's conviction that freedom should be won without bloodshed. Some scholars argue, however, that Rizal's aversion was mainly towards a disorganized revolution of an uneducated people, since it could have little chance of success and only lead to "useless spilling of blood." Rizal's comment that a noble, patriotic and self-sacrificing man such as Elias in Noli would be a good revolutionary leader would seem to support the idea that Rizal supported the idea of armed revolution in certain conditions, despite his preference for achieving reforms bloodlessly. In any case, the lengthy discussions of the possible means of achieving social reform indicate that Rizal had given the different possibilities much serious consideration.
Dedication: The book is dedicated to the memory of the Gomburza, three priests who were accused of being seditious and executed. In his dedication, Rizal audaciously expresses his conviction that their treatment at the hands of the Spanish authorities was unjust.
Message 1. The present system in the Philippines can lead to the downfall of Spain. 2. The intelligent, generous, hardworking, courageous and loyal were driven into opposition, crime and subversion.
3. The Spanish colonial government was arbitrary, cruel and lacking in justice and responsibility. 4. The Spanish government should grant the Filipinos desired assimilation. Rizal's message in El Filibusterismo is very clear; that the present system of government in the Philippines through corrupt officials, dominated by the friars can lead to the downfall of Spain. This point was stressed by Simoun in the novel, when he said, "what is a man to do when he is denied justice? Take the law into his own hands or wait for Spain to give him rights…" From the foregoing, Rizal was very certain that because of the nature and operation of the government, those who are intelligent, generous, hard-working, courageous and loyal citizens were driven into opposition, crime and subversion.
The Spanish colonial government for Rizal was arbitrary, cruel, lacking in a sense of justice and responsibility, without interest in the people under its tutelage. While Rizal described the government in a very negaticve way, his picture of the friars in the Fili was harsher. In this novel, Rizal painted them as abusing their power for the following reasons; to satisfy their evil desires; to preserve their control of education; to rob men of their land; and to seek their own interests. Rizal did not spare his fellow Filipinos from his criticism of the regime. He condemned them for their greed, corruption, hypocrisy and cowardice, which contributed so much to the abuses of the civil officials and friars
Another message communicated by Rizal was on the course of action Filipinos should take if Spain would not listen to his warning. As Filipinos had desired assimilation for a long time, Spain should grant it. Should Spain not accede to the clamor for assimilation, the people may eventually prefer to die rather than endure the miseries any longer. Violent means to effect change would thus become inevitable to achieve their goal.
