Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57 Summary, Characters, Lessons, etc.

This post contains a short summary of Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57 – Vae Victis! In addition, you will also learn about the characters mentioned in this chapter, the setting, key events, as well as the lessons and important insights you can gain from it.

Related: Noli Me Tangere Summary of the Entire Novel (Short Summary) »

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Summary of Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57 – Vae Victis!

The chapter shows the extreme cruelty of the civil guards as they interrogate the prisoners captured after the recent chaos. The guards threaten children who peek through the bars to look at the prisoners. The Alferez, along with his wife Doña Consolacion, is also there to watch the horrifying scene. The priest, Padre Salvi, arrives and asks if Ibarra and Don Filipo are involved in the raid. He is accompanied by a crying child with blood on his pants.

A prisoner named Tarsilo Alasigan is questioned about Ibarra’s involvement in the raid, but Tarsilo insists that their attack was to avenge their father, who was killed by the civil guards. Tarsilo is shown five corpses, including his brother Bruno, but he remains silent and gives no information. As punishment, he is beaten with a cane until his body bleeds, but he still does not break.

When he is brought back to the hall, Tarsilo is again asked if he knows another prisoner, but he answers that he only saw him there for the first time. He is tortured again until his body is covered in blood, and Padre Salvi can no longer bear the violence, so he leaves the hall.

Outside, he sees the sister of Bruno and Tarsilo crying and counting the lashes she hears. Despite all the torture, Tarsilo asks for a quick death and is thrown into a foul-smelling well, where he dies. After this, the guards turn their attention to a madman named Andong, who was arrested for entering the courtyard to relieve himself. In the end, the Alferez grows tired of Andong’s answers and orders him to be put back in jail.

See also: Noli Me Tangere Summary of Each Chapter (1-64) »

Important Events in Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57

1. The civil guards are tense as they threaten children peeking through the bars to see the prisoners, showing their unease after the recent chaos.
2. Padre Salvi arrives and asks if Ibarra and Don Filipo are involved in the raid, but he is shown the prisoner Tarsilo Alasigan, who insists that Ibarra was not part of the attack and that they were rebelling to avenge their father, who was killed by the civil guards.
3. Tarsilo is shown the corpses of his brother Bruno, Pedro, and Lucas, but he remains silent even as he is beaten with a cane until his body bleeds.
4. Padre Salvi can no longer bear what he sees and leaves the hall, while Tarsilo is taken to a foul-smelling well where he dies.
5. After Tarsilo’s death, the guards turn their attention to a madman named Andong, but they get no useful information from him, so they send him back to jail.

Characters in Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57

These are the characters mentioned in the chapter 57 of Noli Me Tangere:

Civil guards

They are stationed in front of the tribunal, keeping watch and silencing the children.

Constables

They are also in the tribunal, whispering to each other, showing their involvement in the events.

Municipal secretary

One of the members of the tribunal.

Alferez

The leader of the civil guards who leads the torture of the prisoners. His cruelty and lack of mercy are shown during the interrogation.

Doña Consolacion

The Alferez’s wife, who even urges her husband to increase the torture of Tarsilo.

Padre Salvi

The parish priest who arrives at the scene to question the prisoners but cannot bear the violence and decides to leave the hall.

Tarsilo Alasigan

One of the prisoners tortured by the civil guards. He fights for the freedom of his people and to avenge his father, who was killed by the guards. He does not give in and chooses to die without giving any information.

Bruno Alasigan

Tarsilo’s brother, whose corpse Tarsilo sees among the others. He was also captured and killed by the civil guards.

Pedro

Sisa’s husband, whose corpse is shown to Tarsilo.

Lucas

One of the corpses Tarsilo sees, with a rope around his neck, showing he was hanged or took his own life.

Andong the Madman

A prisoner mentioned at the end of the chapter. He is a madman who was only in the courtyard to relieve himself and was arrested.

Ibarra

One of the main characters questioned about his involvement in the raid. Though he does not appear actively in the chapter, he is the focus of the prisoners’ interrogation.

Don Filipo

One of the captured men accused of being involved in the raid.

Read more: Noli Me Tangere Characters and Their Roles »

Setting in Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57

The setting of the chapter was inside the tribunal.

Lessons in Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57

1. The chapter shows the courage and principles of Tarsilo, who, even in the face of severe torture, chooses not to betray his comrades and gives no information.
2. The chapter reveals the cruelty of those in power, like the Alferez and his men, who mercilessly torture prisoners to get the information they want.
3. Revenge, as carried out by Tarsilo and his brother, does not always bring justice but often leads to more suffering and death.
4. The chapter highlights the weakness of the justice system under an oppressive government, where the innocent are harmed, and the powerful remain safe.
5. The chapter is a reminder that cruelty and injustice can deeply wound society, leaving tragedies in people’s lives and causing deep resentment and anger.

See also: Noli Me Tangere Historical Background »

And that concludes the summary, characters, setting, and lessons of Noli Me Tangere Chapter 57. If you found this lesson helpful, please share it with others so they can learn as well.

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Read next: Noli Me Tangere Chapter 58 Summary, Characters, Lessons, etc. »