Guy Fawkes

English member of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), sometimes known as Guido Fawkes, was a member of a Roman Catholic revolutionary group based in England who planned to carry out the Gunpowder Plot. Fawkes and the other plotters planned to kill the king, James I, and replace him with a Catholic monarch.

Guy Fawkes as imagined by the 19th century artist George Cruikshank. A picture from William Harrison Ainsworth's novel Guy Fawkes.
The plotters

The day 5 November 1605 is remembered each year in the UK during Guy Fawkes Night. People build large bonfires, light fireworks, and burn figures of Fawkes (known as 'the guy').

November 5 was the date when Parliament re-assembled after a long recess. The plot was uncovered quite late, in the night before the day of the 5th. Fawkes was arrested as he sat in a cellar, near the gunpowder, waiting for the right time to set it off. He was tortured to make him reveal the names of the other plotters. Later eight men, including Fawkes, stood trial for high treason. They were found guilty and executed by hanging in Westminster, London, except for Fawkes, who killed himself by jumping from the scaffold before he was to be hanged. Their remains were sent to the corners of the kingdom and displayed, as a warning to others. There were five other conspirators; the main man, Robert Catesby, was killed by the Sheriff of Worcester when he tried to flee.

Literature

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There are many places to find Fawkes in popular literature. Here are some important examples, listed in chronological order.

References

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  1. Harrison Ainsworth, William. Guy Fawkes: a historical romance. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1428607347.
  2. "Jane Eyre - by Charlotte Brontë: Chapter III". ReadPrint.com. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  3. Dickens, Charles (1996). David Copperfield. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0140434941. Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  4. Melville, Herman (1986). Billy Budd. Chelsea House Publications. ISBN 978-0791040546.
  5. "T. S. Eliot - The Hollow Men". Poetryx.com. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  6. "Fahrenheit 451: Summaries and Commentaries - Part One". CliffNotes.com. 25 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  7. "Scholastic Online Chat Transcript". Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2007-07-15.

Other websites

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