Noli Me Tangere

published in
Berlin (1887)
By:
Group 8
Dolandolan, Louie B.
Perito, Francis Miguel P.

Bleak winter of 1886

A

memorable life of Rizal

For two reasons:

1. It was a painful episode to him.
2. It brought him great joy, after
enduring so much sufferings.

Idea of Writing a Novel on the

Philippines
Inspired by the novel entitled Uncle Toms
Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Portrays

the brutalities of American slave-owners

Miseries

of people under Spanish rule.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

January

2, 1884 Rizals proposal

of novel in a Filipino reunion.

Unanimously

approved by those

present.
Rizals

project did not materialize.

The Writing of the Noli

End

of 1884, Writing the novel in Madrid

1885

- He continued writing the novel in

Paris
He

finished the last fourth of the Novel in

Germany.

April-June,

1886 - last few chapters in

Wilhemsfeld

February,

1886 Final revisions on the

manuscript in Berlin.

Central Universidad de Madrid

Paris, France

Pastor Karl Ullmers vicarage, Wilhelmsfeld, Germany

Central Hotel, Berlin, Germany

While

making the final

revisions on the manuscript,
- Sick and penniless,
- No hope of publishing,
- Almost hurled it into flames.

If Noli Me Tangere
was published
despite of his
sickness and having
no money, how did
this novel was still

Dr. Maximo Viola

Viola, savior of the Noli

Rizal

received a telegram from Dr.

Maximo Viola.
Friend of Rizal
Scion of a rich family of San Miguel,
Bulacan.
Shocked to find Rizal living in poverty
and deplorably sick.

Deleted

certain passages in the

manuscript including a whole
chapter Elias and Salome
February 21, 1887 - the Noli was
finally finished and ready for
printing.
Berliner Buchdruckei ActionGesselschaft printing shop
300 pesos for 2,000 copies.

Rare event in
Rizals life

Rizal Suspected as French Spy

The police chief of Berlin visited his Boarding House

The police chief told him to secure a passport in four days.

Rizal together with Viola went to the Spanish Ambassador

But the Spanish Ambassador had no power to issue the required

passport

After the four-day ultimatum, Rizal presented himself to the

authorities

Apologized for the passport and politely asked he will be deported

when he didnt commit any crime.

The police chief informed him that he had received intelligence

report.

At that time the relation between France and Germany were

strained on the account of Alsace-Lorraine.

Rizal explained that he was not a French spy, but was a Filipino
physician and scientist and particularly an ethnologist.

Because of his favorable impression of his explanation, his

mastery of the German language and his personal charisma, the
Police chief was satisfied and allowed him to stay free in
Germany.

Printing of the Noli Finished

On

March 21, 1887, the Noli Me

Tangere came off the press.
Rizal immediately sent the first
copies to his intimate friends,
including Blumentritt, Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor, G. Lopez
Jaena, Mariano Ponce and Felix
R. Hidalgo.

Title of the Novel

Latin

phrase which means Touch Me Not.

Not

originally conceived by Rizal, for he

admitted taking it from he admittedly
taking it from the Bible.

Rizal,

writing to Felix R. Hidalgo in French

on March 5, 1887, said: Noli Me Tangere,
words taken from the Gospel of St Luke,
signify do not touch me

 Rizal

made a mistake. It should be on the

Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20, Verse 13 to
17).

According

to St. John, on the First Easter

Sunday, St. Mary Magdalene visited the Holy
Sepulcher, and to her Our Lord Jesus, just
arisen from the dead, said:

Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to

my Father, but go to my brethren, and say
unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and
your Father; and to my God and your God.

The Authors Dedication

Rizal

dedicated Noli
Me Tangere to the
Philippines to My
Fatherland.

The Noli Based on Truth

Noli

was a true story of Philippine conditions during the last decades of

Spanish rule.

The

places, the characters, and the situations really existed. The facts I
narrate there, said Rizal, are all true and have happened; I can prove
them.

The

characters
Maria Clara Leonor Rivera
Juan Crisostomo Ibarra and Elias Jose Rizal
Pilosopo Tasio Paciano
Padre Salvi Padre Antonio Piernavieja
Capitan Tiago Capitan Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas
Basilio and Crispin Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy
Padre Damaso typical of domineering friar during the days of Rizal, who was
arrogant, immoral, and anti-Filipino

The characters
Maria Clara Leonor Rivera
Juan Crisostomo Ibarra and Elias Jose Rizal
Pilosopo Tasio Paciano
Padre Salvi Padre Antonio Piernavieja
Capitan Tiago Capitan Hilario Sunico
Basilio and Crispin Crisostomo brothers of
Hagonoy
Padre Damaso typical of domineering
friar, arrogant, immoral, and anti-Filipino.

Missing Chapter of the Noli

Elias

and Salome which

follows Chapter XXIV In
the Woods
Reduce printing cost

Rizals Friend Praise the Noli

Rizals

friend hailed the novel, praising

it in glowing colors. As to be expected,
Rizals enemies condemned it.

Rizal

anticipated the harsh attacks of

his enemies, who were sore to be told
the truth of their evil ways.

In

London, Dr. Antonio

Ma. Regidor, Filipino
patriot and lawyer read
avidly the Noli and very
much impressed by its
author.

Reference
Zaide, Gregorio and Zaide,
Sonia. (1999). Jos Rizal: Life,
Works, and Writings of a
Genius, Writer, Scientist, and
National Hero. 2nd ed. AllNations Publishing Co., Inc. p.
88-104