Act 17

• Nationalism


  An ideology based on the premise that the individual's loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests
• Nationalism


  Desires unity by their way of a cultural background, including language and heritage
• Patriotism


  Shows love country and willingness to sacrifice for it by their values and beliefs
• Nationalism (according to George Orwell)

  More on that one's country is superior to another
• Patriotism (according to George Orwell)


  Simply a feeling of admiration for a way of life
• Nationalism and Patriotism sometimes interchanged since they both show their love to their nation
• Rizal's Nationalism as felt on his poems/essays/speeches

  1. Through education, our motherland receives light

  2. Proved that he valued education so much that may give the power of the country to survive from any forces in the struggles of societal FREEDOM

  3. Through education, it creates the virtue of power to human race

  4. This gives SECURITY and PEACE to the motherland as the Filipinos would learn the sciences and arts as the bases to calm down the life of the society
• Rizal's Nationalism as felt on his poems/essays/speeches


  • To the Filipino Youth
  • Love of Country
• To the Filipino Youth was the first great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino whose merit was recognized by Spanish literary authorities, and it expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos and not the foreigners are the hope of the motherland
• Love of Country was written under his pen name Laong Laan in Barcelona, Spain, translated into Tagalog by Marcelo H. del Pilar and published in Diariong Tagalog, where he urged his fellow Filipinos abroad to love their motherland
• Rizal distinguished the true religion from the false, from the superstitious, from that which traffics with the Sacred Word to extract money, to make us believe in foolishness which Catholicism would blush at if it had knowledge of it
• Rizal unveiled what lay hidden behind the deceptive and brilliant words of our government, and he had also told our fellowmen of our faults, our vices, our culpable and shameful apathy with regards to these miseries
• The Noli Me Tangere is not merely an attack on the Spanish colonial regime, it is a charter of nationalism that calls on the Filipino to recover his self-confidence, to appreciate his own worth, to return to the heritage of his ancestors, to assert himself as the equal of the Spaniard
• Rizal's Nationalism based from his novels


  1. Noli Me Tangere

  2. El Filibusterismo
• Noli Me Tangere was dedicated to Rizal's motherland, the Philippines, getting attention of both Filipinos and Spaniards to see the deplorable conditions of the Filipino people from the Spanish tyranny
• In Noli Me Tangere, Rizal showed the preparation of how Filipinos can step out from darkness, and it is through education
• El Filibusterismo is a political novel which exposes a kind of Spanish government to the society, and could be interpreted as asking for reforms
• In El Filibusterismo, Simoun reacted vehemently to the program of Hispanization that young students were advocating, as he saw it as the death of the people, the destruction of national identity, and the institutionalization of tyranny
• The character of Elias in Noli Me Tangere showed the willingness of sacrificing himself for the benefits of the many, protecting Crisostomo for many times, as he believed the redemption of the country depends on the ilustrados
• Elias: 'I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land! You who have it to see, welcome it and forget not those who have fallen during the night!'
• In El Filibusterismo, Rizal advocated a revolution in effecting reforms in Filipino society through the character of Simoun
• It was written by Arthur Wing Pinero, who also wrote The Magistrate (1892)
• Rizal used the name "Simoun" because it means "moon" or "crescent moon," symbolizing his belief in Islam as a way to unite the Philippines against colonialism.
• Simoun's plan involved killing all Spaniards except priests and nuns, establishing an independent republic with him as president, and implementing Islamic principles such as equality between men and women and freedom from oppression.
• Simoun is an Arabic word meaning crescent moon, which represents the Islamic faith and its role in inspiring resistance against Spanish oppression.
• Simoun's ultimate goal was to establish a new government based on justice and equality for all citizens, regardless of their race or religion.
• Simoun's plan involved using violence and terror tactics to strike fear into the hearts of the Spaniards and force them out of the Philippines.
• The play explores themes of national identity, cultural heritage, and political upheaval.
• The novel follows the story of Basilio, a young man seeking revenge on the corrupt friars who wronged his family.
• El Filibusterismo is set in Manila during the late 19th century, when Spain still held control over the Philippines.
• The play portrays the struggle for independence as a complex issue that involves both physical and emotional battles.
• Pinero's plays were often performed at the Haymarket Theatre
• Act 17 explores the theme of perseverance in the face of adversity, highlighting the importance of resilience and determination.
• Another prominent theme in Act 17 is the power of unity and collaboration, emphasizing the strength that comes from working together towards a common goal.
• The play highlights the importance of preserving one's culture and traditions while fighting for independence.
• The characters in the play are complex and multidimensional, reflecting the diverse perspectives and experiences of Filipinos during this time period.
• Basilio becomes involved in Simoun's revolutionary movement and helps carry out violent attacks against the Spaniards.
• In El Filibusterismo, Rizal uses symbolism such as the "crescent" (simoun) to represent the struggle between Christianity and Islam in the Philippines.
• The characters in El Filibusterismo represent different aspects of Philippine society at the time, including the oppressed masses, the ruling elite, and foreign invaders.
• Rizal uses symbolism throughout the play to convey deeper meanings and messages about Filipino culture and history.