Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal Quiz: Chapter Summaries and Questions

Study Notes

The novel Noli Me Tangere consists of 63 chapters and an epilogue. It begins with a reception hosted by Capitan Tiago (Santiago de Los Santos) at his home on Calle Analogue (now Juan Luna Street) on the last day of October. The reception is held in honor of Crisostomo Ibarra, a young and wealthy Filipino who has just returned after seven years of studying in Europe. Ibarra is the only son of Don Rafael Ibarra, a friend of Capitan Tiago, and the fiancé of the beautiful Maria Clara, who is believed to be Capitan Tiago's daughter.

Among the guests at the reception are Padre Damaso, a fat Franciscan friar who has been the parish priest of San Diego (Calamba), Ibarra's hometown, for 20 years; Padre Sybila, a young Dominican parish priest from Binondo; Señor Guevara, a kind and elderly lieutenant of the Guardia Civil; Don Tiburcio de Espadaña, a fake Spanish physician who is lame and henpecked by his wife, Doña Victorina; and several ladies.

Ibarra makes a favorable impression on the guests, except for Padre Damaso, who is rude to him. During dinner, the conversation revolves around Ibarra's studies and travels abroad. Padre Damaso is in a bad mood because he got a bony neck and a hard wing of the chicken tinola, and tries to discredit Ibarra's remarks.

After dinner, Ibarra leaves Capitan Tiago's house to return to his hotel. On the way, Lieutenant Guevara tells him the sad story of his father's death in San Diego. Don Rafael was a rich and brave man who defended a helpless boy from the brutality of an illiterate Spanish tax collector, accidentally killing him in the process. Don Rafael was thrown in prison, where he died unhappily. He was buried in consecrated ground, but his enemies, accusing him of being a heretic, had his body removed from the cemetery.

Upon hearing his father's tragic story, Ibarra thanks Lieutenant Guevara and vows to find out the truth about his father's death. The next morning, he visits Maria Clara, his childhood sweetheart, who teases him about forgetting her because of the beautiful girls in Germany. Ibarra assures her that he has never forgotten her. After reuniting with Maria Clara, Ibarra goes to San Diego to visit his father's grave on All Saint's Day. At the cemetery, the grave digger tells him that Don Rafael's corpse was removed by order of the parish priest and thrown into the lake. Ibarra is angry and confronts Padre Salvi, the Franciscan parish priest of San Diego, who tells him that Padre Damaso, his predecessor, was responsible for the desecration of his father's remains.

In San Diego, Ibarra meets several interesting people, including Tasio the philosopher, the progressive school teacher, the spineless gobernadorcillo, Don Filipo Lino, and the former gobernadorcillos, Don Basilio and Don Valentin. The most tragic story in the novel is that of Sisa, a formerly wealthy girl who became poor after marrying a gambler and wastrel. She becomes insane after losing her two sons, Basilio

Description

Test your knowledge of the classic Filipino novel Noli Me Tangere with this quiz! See if you can recall key characters, plot points, and themes from this iconic work of literature. From the reception at Capitan Tiago's house to the tragic story of Sisa, this quiz covers it all. Challenge yourself and see how much you remember from Jose Rizal's masterpiece.