Why did the Plot start?
In 1605 a group of Catholics plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London with King James I inside and take control of the country.
The leader of the Plot was Robert Catesby. The man in charge of blowing up Parliament was Guy Fawkes.
Watch: Why did the Gunpowder plot happen?
Rat: Why did the Gunpowder Plot happen?
I look forward to the 5th of November every year. Fireworks, bonfires…oooo, toffee apples! I love bonfire night. He doesn’t. Poor guy. That’s his name, Guy Fawkes.
He lived a long time ago… I heard his story from my mum, who got it from her mum, who got it from her dad… who got it from, er, you get the idea… all the way back in history, to a rat who lived over 400 years ago. Look! That’s her.
The year was 1605, it was very different then – the apples were pretty similar though (CRUNCH) People had just started to play early versions of football and tennis, there was no TV, people loved going to the theatre.
And, on Sundays, everyone in the country went to church. It was the law. If you didn’t go, you’d be in trouble. Big trouble.
Here, look – that’s King James I. He was the King AND head of the Church of England, so everybody had to go to his kind of church.
Arguments about religion like this had been (YAWNS) going on for ages. (CHOMPS WAX)
If you secretly belonged to another type of church, the Catholic church, you’d be punished… badly.
So, this is the world of my ancestor’s story – the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
A plot is a secret plan. Here, look – shhhh! These men are plotters.
They think nobody can hear. Let’s listen in.
Robert Catesby: Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Nice hats. I’ve invited you here because the king is treating Catholics like us very…badly.
It’s not fair. I’m very, very angry and I think you are too. Am I right?
Plotters: Yeah!
Robert Catesby: We’ve got to do something to stop the king treating Catholics…badly.
And I know what. We must kill the king!
Plotter: Er, won’t that make us the baddies? Treating them…badly?
Robert Catesby: So who’s ready to hear my clever plan?
Plotters: (CHEERING)
Rat: So, that was Robert Catesby, the leader of the plotters. It was his idea, not Guy Fawkes, Maybe he should be on the bonfire?
Catesby is going to need a cunning plan to kill the king. Kings were guarded by soldiers, so it won’t be easy.
Robert Catesby: Ok, listen to my clever plan. Actually, let’s call it a plot – it sounds even cleverer that way.
The king is going to visit the Houses of Parliament.
Then we attack him!
The plot is to blow up the whole building. When. He’s. Inside. Boom!
(CHEERS AND LAUGHTER)
After that Catholics like us can take over the country.
I feel as if I can smell it already…
Mmm, burning!
Rat: And here he is, at last. Meet Guy Fawkes, an expert at blowing things up.
Guy Fawkes: I like blowing things up.
Rat: So… the plot was agreed – Guy Fawkes was to carry out Robert Catesby’s plan to blow up King James I in the Houses of Parliament – an important building where important people meet to make important decisions.
What do you think happened when they tried to kill the king?
How was the Plot stopped?
The plotters put 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar underneath Parliament.
One of the plotters wrote to a friend in Parliament, Baron Monteagle, to warn him about the Plot. The letter reached the King.
The King's men searched the cellars under Parliament. They found Guy Fawkes dressed in a cloak and hat with the barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was arrested.
Watch: What happened during the Gunpowder Plot?
Rat: Ooh sparklers! Hooray for Bonfire night! Isn’t it beautiful?(MEOW)
Eeeek!
Fire is dangerous. That’s why everybody must stand back from fireworks.
Fireworks have a long tail, so you don’t have to get too close to light them.
The tail is called a fuse, the flame travels along the fuse… until…
(BANG)
Inside the rocket is gunpowder. When fire touches it, the gunpowder bangs and the rocket explodes.
(BOOM)
You get bigger bangs with more gunpowder.
The biggest bangs need the biggest rockets, that can carry the most gunpowder.
Ow! Too much gunpowder!
Now, one rat in my family knew all about gunpowder.
She lived over four hundred years ago, in the time of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
There she is, careful!
That’s Guy Fawkes. He was part of The Gunpowder Plot – a secret plan to blow up King James I, using gunpowder.
Guy Fawkes’ job was to wait for the king to enter the Houses of Parliament – the country’s most important building – and then light some gunpowder to blow up the whole building, king and all.
The plotters have got lots of barrels of gunpowder and a cunning plan. Their first plan was to sneak 36 barrels of gunpowder to the building next door, then dig a tunnel underneath.
Plotter: Sounds like ‘ard work.
But then they found they could use a room underneath the Houses of Parliament.
Plotter: Sounds easier. Let’s do that. Come on, we need to get this first lot of gunpowder to Guy Fawkes.
Second Plotter: What’s the hurry? The king won’t be in the Houses of Parliament until 5th November.
Plotter: 5th November? My relative is going there on that day. I’ll write a letter and warn him to stay away.
Second Plotter: But aren’t we supposed to keep the plot a secret?
Plotter: Don’t worry. I’ll tell him not to tell his friends…
Rat: So… a warning note, a plotter wrote. Ooh, that rhymes. But here’s the thing. They say that someone showed it to the king.
He looks terribly fed up.
King James I: I’m terribly fed up! People keep plotting against me, I thought everybody loved the king…
Guards!
Guard: A fresh handkerchief your highness?
King James I: Search the Houses of Parliament! If you find ANYONE plotting against The King, treat them… Very. Badly.
Guy Fawkes: I like blowing things up.
So, Guy Fawkes was hiding in the cellar, waiting.
The King was due to arrive on the 5th November.
When the King arrived, Fawkes would get his chance to light the fuse and blow up the king, but…
Guards: Ello ello ello! We are arresting you in the name of the king. Do you have anything to say?
Guy Fawkes: I don’t like blowing things up, not me squire.
Guard: Hmmm. Stand up! What’s your name?
Guy Fawkes: My name is er… John…?
Guard: What’s your surname John?
Guy Fawkes: Erm… John… John… son?
Guard: Ok. Come on, to the dungeon with you John Johnson. You are in trouble. Bad trouble.
Rat: So, they’ve caught Guy Fawkes – he pretended to be called John Johnson, to confuse them. The guards want to know if he was acting alone or with other plotters.
What do you think will happen to him?
What happened after the Gunpowder Plot?
Guy Fawkes was tortured and told the names of the other plotters.
Robert Catesby and several others were killed or captured. The plotters were found guilty and were sentenced to death. Their heads were put on spikes for all to see that the Plot had failed.
Soon afterwards, bonfires and fireworks were lit every Fifth of November and still happen today.
Watch: After the Gunpowder Plot
Rat: “Remember, remember the 5th of November: gunpowder, treason and plot!” I’ve made my own rhyme up, ready?“I don’t need the bonfire rhyme, my family’s stories go back through time…”
Guy Fawkes and the other plotters smuggled 36 barrels of gunpowder into a room under the Houses of Parliament.
Guy Fawkes was waiting for King James I to arrive on 5th November to blow him up – but he was arrested… before he got the chance.
Guards: We are arresting you in the name of King James.
Rat: The guards took Guy Fawkes to a dungeon in the Tower of London.
Guard: Oooooh ‘eck.
Sorry fella, but the king told me you did the worst crime in the world… you committed ‘treason’, you were trying to kill the king.I’ve got to treat you… Really. Badly. Now.
Guy Fawkes: But… I didn’t commit treason. I just like to blow things up. And I didn’t even get chance t’do that.
Guard: If you try to blow up the king, that’s treason – the law says that’s th’reason I must treat you…badly.
And call you a traitor. Traitor!
Guy Fawkes: Aaagh! That hurts.
Guard: Wait until the torture starts.
Guy Fawkes: Owh! That’s my favourite hat!
Guard: Tell me the names of the other plotters. Who came up with this gunpowder plot?
We’ve got to find those traitors – they committed treason too.
Guy Fawkes: Did they? Did they get to blow up the king then?
Guard: No. But. Plotting. To. Blow. Up. The. King. Is. Treason! Aghhhhh! Talking to you is… Torture!
Right – let’s get crackin’ then. This is not going to be pleasant…
Rat: After three days of torture, Guy Fawkes eventually gave away the names of all the other plotters, so now they could be arrested and punished for treason too.
Treason was the worst thing anyone could do.
If you were caught plotting against the King or Queen… you were seriously punished! Like, badly.
Guy Fawkes didn’t get burnt on a bonfire. The king sentence him to death for committing treason.
The plotters were found and killed in horrible ways…
Catesby, who masterminded the plot, was killed when guards tried to arrest him. But even that wasn’t enough.
Things ended even more… Badly.
Their heads were stuck on spike to warn off anyone else who might want to commit treason.King James I: Hooray for me!
Rat: King James was so happy that he was alive and the plotters were dead, that he made a new law.
King James I From now on, every 5th November, people must remember the day I stopped the gunpowder plot, and celebrate that I’m alive and the plotters are dead. Hooray for me!
Rat: And that’s what happened. A special church service, the ringing of church bells and bonfires became part of the celebrations.
It’s not the law to go to church to remember the gunpowder plot anymore. People invented other ways to celebrate like……making a guy for the bonfire, fireworks and FOOD!
…cake!.. Treacle toffee! There’s enough here to keep me chewing for a year! So… “Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot…
Activity 1: Gunpowder Plot poem
Write your own remembrance poem in the style of this famous one:
Remember, remember…
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Activity 2: Quiz – The Gunpowder Plot
BBC Bitesize newsletter. External Link
Sign up to our BBC Bitesize newsletter to receive monthly news, stories and updates on latest Bitesize content.
More on Events beyond living memory
Find out more by working through a topic
- count3 of 6
- count4 of 6
- count5 of 6
- count6 of 6
