Ian Pempe N.

Ramos 2015-14442

4th year BS Biology PI 100

Character Comparison of Elias and Ibarra as a representation of two types of hero in the Noli me

Tangere

What makes a hero special? How do you consider someone being a hero? The word hero based

on Greek origin came from the word hērōs which is the term used to refer to a "demi-god" which exhibits

a strong sense of justice and bravery and is a protector or defender of his people (Harper, 2018). As

portrayed in various Greek novels and poems their gods are the ones they worship and respect. They give

them offerings and are always portrayed as creatures living above the clouds where a plethora of food

and majestic structures is present. Because of this we can say that their concept of a hero is seen as a

member of a higher class or has a higher social status compared to other human beings which are present

in their society. On the other hand, the concept of a hero for during wars and revolutions is someone who

is brave enough to display a sense of human-ness during times of crisis. Unlike Greek gods, revolutionary

heroes arise from the same class as the people who are fighting for the revolution. They are seen as the

greatest representation of their actions and purpose for the hero embodies their belief and ideals during

the war.

The contradicting idea of what a hero is as mentioned above is observed as in the novel Noli Me

Tangere and is best represented by two of the main characters Elias and Crisostomo Ibarra. Juan

Crisostomo Ibarra is a wealthy man which belongs to the upper class of the society due to his money,

education and his mix of Spanish blood. He is very respectable man and he recognizes the fault in the way

that the friars and Spanish government rule the Philippines. His sense of justice urges him to bring change

in the corrupted political system in his country. He can be seen as a character with a reformist way of

thinking because he believes that the friars and the Spanish government although corrupt and biased are
essential part of the government and is needed for the proper governance of the country. Ibarra firmly

believes that positive changes can be implemented if the system will be reformed from inside out and if

the Filipino people will work hand in hand with the Spanish government and the friars. Because of his

actions and beliefs throughout the novel, Ibarra is seen as the hero of the upper class. He is the hero of

the privileged and wealthy people who did not experience the mistreatment and abuse of the friars

relative to the indios. Because he did not have the same experience as the Elias, he thinks that the

established governance of Spain in the Philippines is a necessary system for it to function properly and he

does not carry the same feeling of “vengeance” as the people who wants to start the revolution.

Elias the another character which is viewed as the hero of the lower class. He is a revolutionary

who despises the way that the Catholic church and Spanish government rule the Philippines. He believes

that the current system oppresses and abuse the people of the lower class and that nothing will happen

if the action will be executed within the power of the Spanish government. He proposes that a

revolutionary movement is the only way to stop the abuse that the people of the lower class experienced.

He proposes this solution in behalf of all his experiences and the people in the lower class which

experiences the misconduct of the friars. This makes him the hero of the revolutionary people. He is the

hero who belongs to the same class as the indios and will also fight for the same purpose. Elias embodies

the principles and ideals of the revolutionary people and is willing to fight for their beliefs.

Throughout the whole novel, the character of Elias and Ibarra and their contradicting principles

and beliefs is observed as the story progress and eventually Ibarra agrees to the points presented by Elias

after he experienced the misconduct of the friars. The two characters presents the readers with different

types of beliefs and sense of justice which gives an interesting conflict about the real meaning of hero.
Reference:

Harper, D. (2018). Hero (n.1). Retieved on December 13, 2018 from:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/hero