page_title: Noli Me Tángere (novel)
section_title: María Clara
hierarchical_section_title: Noli Me Tángere (novel) / Major characters / María Clara
context_page_description: Noli Me Tángere, Latin for "Touch me not", is an 1887 novel by José Rizal during the colonization of the Philippines by Spain to describe perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and the ruling government.
  Originally written in Spanish, the book is more commonly published and read in the Philippines in either Tagalog or English. Together with its sequel, El filibusterismo, the reading of Noli is obligatory for high school students throughout the country. The two novels are widely considered the national epic of the Philippines and are adapted in many forms, such as operas, musicals, plays, and other forms of art.
context_section_description: María Clara de los Santos, commonly referred to as María Clara, is Ibarra's fiancée and the most beautiful and widely celebrated girl in San Diego. She was raised by Kapitán Tiago de los Santos, and his cousin, Isabel. In the later parts of the novel, she was revealed to be an illegitimate daughter of Father Dámaso, the former curate of the town, and Doña Pía Alba, Kapitán Tiago's wife, who had died giving birth to María Clara.
  At the novel's end, a heartbroken yet resolved María Clara entered the Beaterio de Santa Clara (a nunnery) after learning the truth of her parentage and mistakenly believing that her lover, Crisóstomo, had been killed. In the epilogue, Rizal stated that it is unknown whether María Clara is still living within the walls of the convent or is already dead.
caption: A crayon sketch of Leonor Rivera-Kipping by Rizal. Rivera, who was Rizal's longtime love interest, is the commonly accepted basis for the María Clara character.
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