Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not)

The Captain General arrives amid the controversy surrounding Ibarra’s violence toward Father Dámaso. He speaks with Ibarra and is immediately impressed with him. He takes Ibarra’s side, pledging that his penalty will be vetoed and Dámaso will be moved to another town.

The Captain General insists on attending the theater and witnessing the procession to it. Along the way, commoners are brutally beaten back by civil guards, which Ibarra asserts should be banned; the Captain General agrees.

This chapter focuses on Doña Consolación, the ensign’s wife. The ensign prevents her from going to church because he is presumably embarrassed by the way she dresses. As an act of rage and spite, she orders the guards to bring Sisa to her. There is a language gap, and Sisa cannot understand Consolación—which enrages the latter even more. Consolación orders Sisa to start dancing, but the ensign returns and puts a stop to it. Once Sisa leaves, the ensign and his wife fight—which quickly turns physically violent.