The Gunpowder Plot
Remember, remember the Fifth of November
Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
We know no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Hearkening back to 'V for Vendetta' (haven't watched the movie again, even though we now own a copy), I've been reading Antonia Fraser's "The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605" - remarkable how even though the gunpowder plot was conceived and attempted over 400 years ago, the actions and motivations of those involved correspond so accurately to modern theories regarding terrorism, structural and acute violence, and the motivations of those who justify their actions by using religious discourse. And V, like those involved in the actual Gunpowder Plot, was very much a terrorist as per the definition contained in the Criminal Code of Canada, and not a "Freedom Fighter" as he has been described in the summary text on the back of the DVD case.
I know it is somewhat questionable to superimpose modern theoretical constructs on the actions of historical figures, but in the case of the Gunpowder Plot, there is a substantial volume of extant primary source documentation (letters between the co-conspirators, etc.) so the theoretical analysis can be applied to what the person was actually thinking, and the reasons that they themselves put to paper, and not simply to basic known facts about the individual - we don't need to imagine a reason as to why Thomas Percy went from Point A to Point B, because he has told us why.
Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
We know no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Hearkening back to 'V for Vendetta' (haven't watched the movie again, even though we now own a copy), I've been reading Antonia Fraser's "The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605" - remarkable how even though the gunpowder plot was conceived and attempted over 400 years ago, the actions and motivations of those involved correspond so accurately to modern theories regarding terrorism, structural and acute violence, and the motivations of those who justify their actions by using religious discourse. And V, like those involved in the actual Gunpowder Plot, was very much a terrorist as per the definition contained in the Criminal Code of Canada, and not a "Freedom Fighter" as he has been described in the summary text on the back of the DVD case.
I know it is somewhat questionable to superimpose modern theoretical constructs on the actions of historical figures, but in the case of the Gunpowder Plot, there is a substantial volume of extant primary source documentation (letters between the co-conspirators, etc.) so the theoretical analysis can be applied to what the person was actually thinking, and the reasons that they themselves put to paper, and not simply to basic known facts about the individual - we don't need to imagine a reason as to why Thomas Percy went from Point A to Point B, because he has told us why.