Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes' Origin

Guy Fawkes was born in 1570 to a Protestant father and a mother whose original religion was uncertain, as there were some Catholics in her family. He had two brothers, Christopher and John. He started his education in Yorkshire, and when he was eight years old, his father died, which led his mother to marry a Catholic who greatly influenced Guy Fawkes. He converted to Catholicism when he was 21 years old.

Converting to Catholicism at that time was very dangerous because there were many conspiracies led by Catholics against Queen Elizabeth I. This caused Guy Fawkes, with his strong enthusiasm, to leave England for Catholic Spain and join their war against the Protestant Dutch, known as the Eighty Years' War.

Guy Fawkes was also called Guido and was known at that time for his piety, religiousness, and participation in religious rituals. He was described as moderate, friendly, cheerful, and handsome, and he was also recognized for avoiding conflicts.

Turning point

When Guido was in Spain, he met an Englishman named Thomas Wintour. This man was trying to persuade Catholics to join a conspiracy in England led by his cousin Robert Catesby. He successfully recruited Guido, and they returned to England in 1604. At that time, James I had become king of England, and he was not tolerant. Religious persecution was ongoing during his reign, and many Catholics hoped for his downfall and an end to this persecution.

Most of the conspirators were wealthy, but their motive was religious freedom, so they planned to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, the day Parliament officially opened in the presence of James I, his wife, and his heir.

This plot was known at the time as the Gunpowder Plot, and the plan was to blow up 36 barrels of gunpowder located in the cellars beneath the Parliament building. The person responsible for this was Guido, due to his military experience with explosives.

Because of an anonymous letter that warned what would happen to the king and his family that day, the cellars of Parliament and the House of Lords were searched, and Guido was found with explosives, a fuse, an iron lantern, and a box of matches. He was taken to the king, and when asked what he was doing downstairs, he boldly answered that he intended to blow them up. The king ordered him to be interrogated in the Tower of London and subjected to various types of torture to uncover the details of the conspiracy. Despite this, Guido held out for a while before surrendering and providing a handwritten confession in which he named the other conspirators with him.

The rest of the conspirators were captured on November 8, some shot dead while trying to escape, and taken to the Tower of London for questioning. They were then all imprisoned, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on January 31, 1606, when they were dragged behind a horse to Westminster Square, where they were hanged and their four limbs cut off. The remains were then displayed throughout London to serve as a warning to anyone contemplating treason.

Guido was the last to ascend to the gallows, and he did so with difficulty due to the severity of his torture. He was hanged like the others, and November fifth became a day celebrated for the success of thwarting this plot. Celebrations continue to this day.

Guy Fawkes was considered the mastermind and leader of this plot, and even centuries after that event, most demonstrators around the world still wear the mask made in his likeness, as it has become a symbol of rebellion against oppressive and unjust regimes.