The Gunpowder Plot of 1605
Equivocation examines an important event in English History: the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, an attempt by Catholics to kill King James I of England.
In the late 16th Century, England was divided by religion. Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 and declared himself the head of the Church of England, a title which passed to his daughter Elizabeth I on his death. The Protestant monarchy oppressed Catholicism in England, forcing Catholics to practice their faith in secret. Priests, if caught, were executed as traitors. When Elizabeth died without a direct heir, James I, a Catholic, ascended to the throne. Catholics hoped for increased religious tolerance under their new king. When James failed to significantly relax Britain’s stance on the church, a group of thirteen Catholics, led by Robert Catesby and including the infamous Guy Fawkes, resolved to kill James and install a more progressive monarch.
According to official history, the men planned to demolish the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, killing King James and all members of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was put in charge of the explosives. Before the attack could be carried out, however, authorities were alerted of the planned assassination attempt via anonymous letter. On the morning of November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a storage room under the Houses of Parliament surrounded by 36 barrels of gunpowder. Most of his conspirators fled, while a handful were killed or arrested. To this day, the British celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th to commemorate the event.
The King’s Men
William Shakespeare belonged to a troupe of actors known as the King’s Men. Formed in 1594 as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the group was rechristened in 1603 when James I ascended to the throne and became the company’s patron. The company was Shakespeare’s creative home and are known to have presented the first performances of most of his plays. The company famously performed at the Globe Theatre, but also controlled the Blackfriars Theatre and, under James’ rule, were frequent guests of the royal court. The King’s Men disbanded with the closing of the theatres in 1642 at the beginning of the English Civil War. Several attempts to revive the troupe were made, but none persisted for long. The original players included Robert Armin, Richard Burbage, Henry Condell, Richard Cowley, Lawrence Fletcher, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, William Shakespeare, and William Sly.
