To Barrantes on the Tagalog Theaterby José Rizal Vicente Barrantes, a Spanish academician in Madrid and a member of the Royal Spanish Academy and the Royal Academy of History was considered by many as knowledgeable in matters of the Philippines.  His criticism of the Tagalog theater caused Rizal to reply in a sarcastic rebuttal in a two part open letter in La Solidaridad (15 June 1889 and 30 June 1889). In it Rizal pointed out that Barrantes really did not know the subject of which he spoke.  NOTE: The picture to the left is of the Mariones Festival in Marinduke which carries on the tradition of the Passion Play, one of the chief presentations of the Tagalog Theater.

Barrantes, Vicente.  An authority on the Philippines and detractor of Philippine culture, who opposed Rizal from Spain.  Barrantes was a member of both the Royal Spanish Academy and the Royal Academy of History.  He once served as civil governor and director of administration in the Philippines.  In Rizal’s Noli Mi Tangere there is an important public official who falsely imprisons a rich resident of Tondo with the intent of extortion.  The same character refuses to rescue Maria Clara in the Epilogue.  Rizal, himself, said that Barrantes was the prototype for this character.  Barrantes’ defense of the Catholic clergy led Rizal to write La Visión de Fr. Rodriguez.  In a letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt* Rizal wrote: “Barrantes is so stupid and so ignorant that I believe one does not need to break his head to refute his arguments; recently he published The Tagalog Theater and committed phenomenal errors.  I believe I am wasting my time and my work in correcting his enormous errors, and he is one of the Academicians!  One of the historians!  God help me!  Truly I had a better idea of the Spanish Academicians.  He is not only a fool but a malicious one.”  Rizal had only heated and angry words for his opponent during his lifetime.