Thirteen years after the events of Noli Me Tangere, Crisostomo

Ibarra returns to the Philippines under the guise of Simon, a

wealthy bearded jewelry tycoon sporting blue-tinted glasses, and a
confidant of the Captain-General. Abandoning his idealism, he
becomes a cynical saboteur, seeking revenge against the Spanish
Philippine system responsible for his misfortunes by plotting a
revolution.
Simon insinuates himself into Manila high society and influences
every decision of the Captain-General to mismanage the countrys
affairs so that a revolution will break out. He cynically sides with the
upper classes, encouraging them to commit abuses against the
masses to encourage the latter to revolt against the oppressive
Spanish colonial regime.
This time, he does not attempt to fight the authorities through legal
means, but through violent revolution using the masses. His two
reasons for instigating a revolution are at first, to rescue Mara Clara
from the convent and second, to get rid of ills and evils of Philippine
society.
A now grown-up Basilio visits the grave of his deranged mother, Sisa,
in a forested land owned by the Ibarra family one evening. Near the
grave site, Simoun digs for his buried treasures. His identity is
discovered by Basilio when the two happen to meet up just as the
latter leaves Sisa's grave to go home. Simoun spares Basilios life and
tells his story of his past then asks him to join in his planned
revolution against the government, begging him on by bringing up the
tragic misfortunes of the latter's family. Basilio declines the offer as he
still hopes that the countrys condition will improve.
Basilio, at this point, is a graduating medical student at the
Ateneo Municipal. After the death of his mother, Sisa, and the
disappearance of his younger brother, Crispn, Basilio heeded the
advice of the dying boatman, Elas, and traveled to Manila to
study. Basilio was adopted by Capitan Tiago after Mara Clara
entered the convent. With the help of the Ibarra's riches and
Capitan Tiago, Basilio was able to go to Colegio de San Juan de
Letran where, at first, he is frowned upon by his peers and
teachers because of his skin color and his shabby appearance but
is able to win their favor after winning a fencing tournament.
Capitan Tiagos confessor, Father Irene is making Captain Tiagos
health worse by giving him opium even as Basilio tries hard to
prevent Capitan Tiago from smoking it. He and other students
want to establish a Spanish language academy so that they can
learn to speak and write Spanish despite the opposition from the
Dominican friars of the Universidad de Santo Tomas.
With the help of a reluctant Father Irene as their mediator and Don Custodios
decision, the academy is established but this turns bad as they will serve, not as
the teachers but as caretakers of the school. Dejected and defeated, they hold a
mock celebration at a pancitera while a spy for the friars witnesses the
proceedings. Basilio, however, did not show up during the event.
Simoun, for his part, keeps in close contact with the bandit group of Kabesang
Tales, a former cabeza de barangay who suffered misfortunes at the hands of
the friars. Once a farmer owning a prosperous sugarcane plantation and a
cabeza de barangay (barangay head), he was forced to give everything he had
owned to the greedy, unscrupulous Spanish friars and the Church. His son,
Tano, who became a civil guard was captured by bandits, his daughter Jul had
to work as a maid under Hermana Penchang to get enough ransom money for
his freedom, and his father, Tandang Selo, became mute.
Before joining the bandits, Tales took Simouns revolver while Simoun was
staying at his house for the night. As payment, Tales leaves a locket that once
belonged to Mara Clara. To further strengthen the revolution, Simoun has
Quiroga, a Chinese businessman hoping for a consul position in the Philippines
smuggle weaponry to the country, using the latters bazaar as a front.
Simoun plans to attack during a stage play with all of his enemies in
attendance. On the afternoon of the day the attack is supposed to
happen, Basilio informs Simoun of Mara Clara's death in the convent
during the morning hours of the day. A heartbroken Simoun abruptly
aborts his plan to mourn her death.
A few years after the mock celebration by the students, the people are
agitated when disturbing posters are found displayed around the city.
The authorities accuse the students present at the pancitera of
agitation and disturbing peace and has them arrested. Basilio,
although not present at the mock celebration, is also arrested. Capitan
Tiago dies after learning of the incident. But before he dies he signs a
will, unknown to him it was forged by Father Irene. His will originally
states that Basilio should inherit all his property but due to this forgery
his property is given in parts, one to Santa Clara, one for the
archbishop, one for the Pope, and one for the religious orders leaving
nothing for Basilio to be inherited. Basilio is left in prison as the other
students are released.
A high official tries to intervene for the release of Basilio but the Captain-
General, bearing grudges against the high official, coerces him to tender his
resignation. Jul, Basilios sweetheart and the daughter of Kabesang Tales,
tries to ask Father Camorra's help upon the advice of Hermana Bali. The
two travel to the convent but during a rendezvous, Camorra tries to rape
Juli, due to his long-hidden desires for young women. Hermana Bali tries to
intervene to stop Camorra's immoral act but is outmatched by the friar.
Jul, finding herself trapped and being cornered by the friar, jumps from
the convent's window to her death. Simoun arranges for Basilio's release
and manages to get him out of confinement.
After Basilio is released, Simoun tells him about Jul's ordeal with Camorra
which led to her suicide and Basilio decides to join Simouns revolution.
Simoun then tells Basilio his plan at the wedding of Paulita Gmez and
Juanito Pelaez, Basilios hunch-backed classmate. His plan was to conceal
an explosive which contains nitroglycerin inside a pomegranate-styled
kerosene lamp that Simoun will give to the newlyweds as a gift during the
wedding reception. The reception will take place at the former home of the
late Capitan Tiago, which was now filled with explosives planted by
Simoun.
According to Simoun, the lamp will stay lighted for only twenty minutes
before it flickers; if someone attempts to turn the wick, it will explode and kill
everyoneimportant members of civil society and the Church hierarchy
inside the house. Basilio has a change of heart and attempts to warn Isagani,
his friend and the former sweetheart of Paulita. Simoun leaves the reception
early as planned and leaves a note behind:
Mene Thesel Phares
- Juan Crisostomo Ibarra

Initially thinking that it was simply a bad joke, Father Salv recognizes the
handwriting and confirms that it was indeed Ibarras. As people begin to
panic, the lamp flickers. Father Irene tries to turn the wick up when Isagani,
due to his undying love for Paulita, bursts in the room and throws the lamp
into the river, sabotaging Simoun's plans. He escapes by diving into the river
as guards chase after him. He later regrets his impulsive action because he
had contradicted his own belief that he loved his nation more than Paulita
and that the explosion and revolution could have fulfilled his ideals for
Filipino society.
Simoun, now unmasked as the perpetrator of the attempted arson and
failed revolution, becomes a fugitive. Wounded and exhausted after he
was shot by the pursuing Guardia Civil, he seeks shelter at the home of
Father Florentino, Isaganis uncle, and comes under the care of doctor
Tiburcio de Espadaa, Doa Victorina's husband, who was also hiding
at the house. Simoun takes poison in order for him not to be captured
alive. Before he dies, he reveals his real identity to Florentino while they
exchange thoughts about the failure of his revolution and why God
forsook him, when all he wanted was to avenge the people important to
him that were wronged, such as Elias, Maria Clara and his father, Don
Rafael.

Florentino opines that God did not forsake him and that his plans were
not for the greater good but for personal gain. Simoun, finally accepting
Florentinos explanation, squeezes his hand and dies. Florentino then
takes Simouns remaining jewels and throws them into the Pacific
Ocean with the corals hoping that they would not be used by the greedy,
and that when the time came that it would be used for the greater good.
 PRESENTED BY:
BARCIA, ANDREA JANINE R.
CASUBUAN, JOYCE
HOLGADO, MARINELLA A.