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HUNG, DRAWN &QUARTERED LAW

That you be drawn on a hurdleto the place of execution whereyou shall be hanged by the neckand being alive cut down, yourprivy members shall be cut offand your bowels taken out andburned before you, your headsevered from your body andyour body divided into fourquarters to be disposed of atthe Kings pleasure.

Why Do We Celebrate Guy Fawkes?!?Some people believe that Halloween is the most ghoulish and ghastly holiday of all. YetEngland, New Zealand and many other countries in the Common Wealth all celebrateand re-enact the ghastly execution of one man:

GUY FAWKES!On the 5th of November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught with a dark lamp and matches inhand creeping towards a cellar below Parliament. Within this cellar was a large load ofDynamite.A group of catholic conspirators had hatched a plan to blow up the Scottish Born Kingand Parliament. They had rented the cellar and filled it with Dynamite waiting for theKing to make an appearance in the Parliament. One of the conspirators was worriedabout his friend and fellow catholic colleagues inParliament. He sent a letter to his friend warninghim to keep the Catholic Ministers of Parliament

away from the building on the 5

th

of November. Thefriend decided to protect the King and warned theguards of the Plot. Hence Guy Fawkes was capturedas he went to complete the dastardly Deed ofTreason. The King gave permission for Guy Fawkes to betortured to find the names of fellow conspirators.After several days of torture Guy Fawkes gave a fullconfession. Guy and his fellow conspirators weresentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.Guy Fawkes, having been tortured and made to

stand and watch all of his fellow conspirators getgruesomely executed, decided to take control of his own death. As he climbed theladder, slipping on the blood of his friends Fawkes was smiling. You seem happy, saidthe guard. I am so, replied Fawkes. He then spread out his arms and leapt from thetop of the scaffold, dying instantly rather than having to experience the added tortureof being quartered while alive!The King felt it was important to use the executions to dissuade other plotters fromcommitting treason. The King had the traditional poem circulated and each yearencouraged celebrations. On the 5th of November children make a GUY and then burnhim on the bonfire.

GUY FAWKES TRADITIONAL POEMPlease to remember the Fifth ofNovember,The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,I know of no reasonWhy the Gunpowder TreasonShould ever be forgot.Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intentTo blow up King and Parli'ment.Three-score barrels of powder belowTo prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'dWith a dark lantern and burning match.Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save theKing!

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Activities:

1) Read the article and answer the questions below.

a) Who was Guy Fawkes? _________________________________________________________

b) What did he try to do? _________________________________________________________

c) Why was Guy Fawkes caught?

________________________________________________________

d) Why did the King encourage people to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?

___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2) Find a synonym for the words below in the article:- Basement- Plotters- Safeguard- Torment- Horrifically- Jump

- Distributed- Promoted

3) Match the Phrase with the Definition:In hand Terrible ActHatched a plan Attempting to kill the KingDastardly Deed Thought of a strategyCommitting treason Carrying

4) Topics for Debate or Discussion:

- Why do you think the conspirators wanted to kill the King?- Why did the King think it was important to remind people of what happenedto Guy Fawkes?- Was Guy Fawkes a terrorist?- Should these countries continue to celebrate Guy Fawkes night?- Do you think it is a good thing to encourage children to create an effigy ofthe man and throw it on a bonfire?- Does your country have an infamous historical person like Guy Fawkes?- Should Capital punishment be legal?- Why is being Hung, Drawn and quartered, not legal anymore?