synopsis if el filibusterismo

Crisostomo Ibarra returns as the rich, jeweler Simoun. Abadoning his idealism, he sought revenge against the people responsible for his misfortunes, and starts a revolution.

After 13 years being away from the Philippines, Crisostomo Ibarra returned under the guise of Simoun, a rich jeweler and a confidant of the Captain-General. Simoun is influencing every decisions of the Captain-General to mismanage the country’s affair so that a revolution will break out. Simoun has reasons for instigating a revolution. First is to rescue Maria Clara from the convents and to get rid of the corruption and evil of the society through revolution. His true identity was discovered by a now-grown Basilio while visiting his mother’s grave, Sisa, as Simoun was digging near the grave site for his remaining treasures. Simoun spared Basilio’s life and ask him to join in his planned revolution against the government. Basilio refused the offer as he still hope that the country’s condition will improve.

Basilio, at this point, is a graduating student taking up medicine at Ateneo Municipal. Basilio was adopted by Captain Tiago after Maria Clara enters the convent. With Captian Tiago’s help, Basilio was able to go to Letran and Ateneo. Captain Tiago’s confessor, Father Irene is making Captain Tiago’s health worse by giving him opium even as Basilio made Captain Tiago stop 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 University of Santo Tomas. With the help of a reluctant Father Irene as their mediator and Don Custodio’s decision, the academy was establish but they will only serve as caretakers of the school not as the teachers. Dejected and defeated, they had a mock celebration at a pansiteria while a spy for the friars witnesses all the proceedings of the so-called celebration.

On the other hand, Simoun kept in close contact with the bandit group of Cabesang Tales, a former Cabeza de Barangay who suffered misfortunes at the hands of the friars. Before joining the bandits, Tales took Simoun’s revolver gun while Simoun stayed at his house for the night. But as a payment, Tales gave a locket that was once belonged to Maria Clara. To further strengthen the revolution, Simoun had Quiroga, a Chinese hoping to be appointed a consul to the Philippines, smuggled weapons using Quiroga’s bazaar as a front. Simoun wishes to attack during a stage play with all of his enemies watching at the same time. But he abruptly aborted the attack when he learned from Basilio that Maria Clara died inside the convent.

Few days after the mock celebration, the city was agitated with disturbing posters posted around the city. The authorities accused the students present at the pansiteria of agitation and disturbing peace and had them arrested. Basilio, although not present in the mock celebration, was also arrested. Captain Tiago died after learning the incident and as stated in his will, forged by Father Irene, all his possessions will be given to the church while Basilio will be left with nothing. Basilio was the only one left in prison as others were released. A high official tried to intervene for the release of Basilio but the Captain-General, having grudges against the high official, had him resigned forcefully. Juli, Basilio’s girlfriend and the daughter of Cabesang Tales, tried to ask Father Camorra’s help upon the advice of an elder woman. But instead of helping Juli, Father Camorra tried to rape her as he had hidden desires with Juli. Juli, rather than submitting to the will of the friar, jumped over the balcony to her death.

Basilio was released with the help of Simoun. Basilio, now a changed man, finally joins Simoun’s revolution. Simoun then tells Basilio his plan at the wedding of of Paulita Gomez and Juanito, Basilio’s hunchbacked classmate. His plan was to conceal an explosive inside a lamp that Simoun will give to the newlywed as a gift at the wedding reception. The reception will take place at the former house of Captian Tiago, which was now laden with explosives planted by Simoun. According to Simoun, the lamp will only light for 20 minutes before it flickers and if someone will attempt to turn the wick, it will explode and will kill everyone inside the house. Basilio had a change of heart and attempted to warn the people inside, and Isagani, his friend and the former boyfriend of Paulita.

Simoun left the reception early as planned and left a note behind; "Mane, Thacel, Phares. Juan Crisostomo Ibarra". Thinking it was a bad joke by those left behind, Father Salvi recognized the handwriting and confirmed that it was Ibarra’s handwriting. As people began to panic, the lamp flickers. Father Irene tries to turn up the wick when Isagani, due to his undying love for Paulita, burst in the room and throws the lamp into the river. He escaped by diving into the river as guards chased him.

Simoun, now unmasked as the perpetrator of the attempted arson and failed revolution, became a fugitive. Wounded and exhausted, he sought shelter at the home of Father Florentino, Isagani’s uncle, and was taken care of by Doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña, the husband of Doña Victorina, who was also hiding at the house. Simoun drank poison in order for him not to be captured alive by the authorities. Before he died, he revealed his real identity to Father Florentino and had exchanged thoughts about the failure of his revolution and why God forsook him. Father Florentino guaranteed him that God did not forsake him and that his plans were not for the greater good but for personal gains. Simoun, finally accepting Father Florentino’s explanation, squeezed his hand and died. Father Florentino took Simoun’s jewelries and threw them into the sea, hoping that they wouldn't be used for greed, and if the time came that they would be used for the greater good, the sea would reveal the treasures.