Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a 1981 novella by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Told in non-chronological order and in journalistic fashion by an unnamed narrator, it pieces together the events leading up to and after the murder of Santiago Nasar by Pedro and Pablo Vicario. Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a classic example of Márquez's use of magical realism in his writing. The novella has been adapted several times as a film and also as a Broadway musical.

This guide uses the 2014 Penguin Books edition, translated by Gregory Rabassa.

Content Warning: The source material deals with murder and domestic and sexual violence. The plot also revolves around character’s patriarchal double standards that equate women’s virtue and value with sexual abstinence. This, along with the cultural and religious concept of “virginity,” is discussed in greater detail in the Background section of this guide, in Religious Context: Marianism, Veneration, and Virginity, and in the theme of Honor and Violence.

Plot Summary

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is told in a nonlinear style. Many years after the murder of his friend, the narrator reconstructs the events which took place on the day that Santiago Nasar was killed. He weaves together witness accounts, government records, and his own memories to construct a narrative of a murder which seemed random and inevitable in equal measure.

The story begins on the morning of Santiago Nasar’s murder. The unnamed narrator explains that Santiago lived with his widowed mother, Plácida Linero, as well as their chef, Victoria Guzmán, and her daughter, Divina Flor. Plácida’s husband, Ibrahim Nasar, died several years ago. After Nasar’s death, Santiago gained control of the family ranch and ran it with great diligence. The family’s hard work helped lift them to a wealthy status in their community.

On the day of Santiago’s murder, the bishop was set to arrive. As his boat drew close to the shore, a crowd of people assembled to watch. As usual, however, the bishop did not stop and only waved to the crowd from the deck of his boat. Pablo and Pedro Vicario sat in a nearby milk store midway between the town and the dock. They chose the place because they knew that Santiago Nasar would likely appear at some point along the path to the docks. Around the same time, the narrator’s sister was alarmed to hear that Angela Vicario was sent to her family’s home on her wedding night.

Next, the narrator tells the story of Bayardo San Román. Hailing from a wealthy, well-connected family in a different part of the country, he first came to town to find a wife. He ultimately chose Angela and he needed to exert very little effort to win her approval, as she came from a poor family. Nevertheless, Angela began to have second thoughts about their marriage. She worried that she knew very little about Bayardo and she was certain she did not love him.

On the night before Santiago’s murder, the wedding celebrations escalated into a raucous party. The party lasted past sunrise, culminating in a brothel owned by María Alejandrina Cervantes. At the brothel, the narrator had joined Santiago Nasar along with the two Vicario brothers. When the twins returned home, they found their sister and learned that she had an affair with Santiago. Infuriated that their sister had sex with Santiago before marrying Bayardo, and knowing the consequences of the affair in their society, the twins resolved to kill Santiago. They openly talked about their plan to several people—including a police officer, local butcher, and the Colonel—before carrying it out. At the time, all three men believed that the twins were bluffing. The milk shop’s owner, Clotilde Armenta, warned the town’s priest about their plans but he was caught up in the bishop’s arrival and forgot to relay the message.

After the Vicario brothers killed Santiago, their entire extended family was forced to abruptly leave town due to their damaged reputation. A week later, Bayardo San Román’s family came by boat to take him home. The Vicario brothers remained imprisoned. They were sentenced to three years for the murder. Once released, Pablo Vicario married his long-time lover, Prudencia Cotes. Pedro returned to the army but disappeared while on a campaign.

The narrator returns to the night of Angela’s wedding. After Bayardo sent Angela home, she realized that she was in love with him. After the murder, she moved out of town but continued writing love letters to Bayardo. She wrote to him every week for the next 17 years. Finally, Bayardo came to find her. The town continues to talk about the murder for many years. The narrator reveals that his friend, Cristo Bedoya, had nearly saved Santiago the morning of his murder. Bedoya ran through town, desperately searching for Santiago and hoping to intercept the Vicario brothers. He failed to check the house of Flora Miguel, whom Santiago was about to marry. Flora’s father first warned Santiago that the Vicario brothers were on their way to kill him. By that time, the crime was more or less inevitable; townspeople had even broken off from the bishop’s welcome to watch the scene, having caught word of the impending attack.

The story ends with Santiago’s final moments of life. Disoriented by the news from Flora’s father, he leaves the house and ambles toward his house. His mother, believing that he was already inside, has locked the front door. Clotilde Armenta screams Santiago’s name, urging him to run. As he frantically tries to open the locked door of the house, the Vicario brothers catch him. They brutally stab him dozens of times. Santiago tries to enter his house through his back door, but he has sustained many fatal wounds, so he collapses and dies.