Exits and Entrances

Reviewing the NOLI & FILI

by

Jose Sison Luzadas, KGOR

Scarborough, Chapter

”All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts…."

Shakespeare

The lines are from Shakespeare’s “As you Like It”. We are all familiar with Dr. Rizal’s characters in the NOLI and FILI and there is no doubt, that the man who in his time plays many parts, must be Crisostomo Ibarra!

Rizal introduced Ibarra at the beginning of the NOLI as a promising young man who after seven years abroad returned to the Philippines. He was preoccupied with his plans to educate the native Filipinos by building schools. His plans, however, were thwarted by Father Damaso. Moreover, failed to avenge his father's death and worst he lost Maria Clara to the nunnery!

Like the fading sunset of San Diego, he disappeared and no where to find him after the long chase in the lake where Elias, the mysterious native and protector died of bullet wounds inflicted by the pursuing Civil Guards.

The vanishing Ibarra made his comeback appearance in the FILI as Simoun sporting disguises like moustache and dark glasses. Completely a different man so obsessed of starting a native uprising to topple the government. However, his plan failed.

Rizal assigned a native priest to rationalize a bungled revolution. Father Florentino lectured to a dying Simoun that his revolution from the beginning is doomed to fail because the people are not ready and because they are not ready they don’t deserve it! "What good is independence if the SLAVES of today are the TYRANTS of tomorrow?"

Back to the “drawing board”……….EDUCATE THE MASSES!

For comments, contact: jose sison luzadas: luzadas@bellsouth.net