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Can you defend Guy Fawkes?

You are Guy Fawkes' lawyer. 

Your task is to write a closing speech for the defence which you hope will persuade the jury that Guy Fawkes is innocent of the charge of treason! 

You have to persuade the jury that Guy Fawkes was not plotting to blow up Parliament and the King but that rather that he was the victim of a plan to 'frame' and discredit Catholics in Britain. 

See the video highlights from 2002 - modem or broadband
or George Paige's production of the mess-ups of 2003 and Adrian's video of his performance.

Things to consider:

You need to question the truth of the evidence that has been used by the prosecution, e.g. are all the confessions reliable? If not, why not? Remember to include comments about Thomas Winters' confession (Source 9) as well as that of Guy Fawkes.

Read Source 10 very closely. There appears to be much circumstantial evidence to suggest that the government was behind the plot. Can you make use of it? Circumstantial evidence on its own does not prove anything but taken together can help you make a strong case.

You should focus on the role of Robert Cecil. Can you present a case that suggests he was responsible for what happened? Did he have any motive (reason) to frame Fawkes and the Catholics? (look closely at Source 4)

Is there any evidence that the government used the plot as an excuse to pass new laws against Catholics? Don't you think that this was just a little too convenient!

You should begin your speech by saying 'Gentlemen of the jury, my client Mr Guy Fawkes is innocent of all charges brought by the prosecution...' It should last two minutes in total. Although you will have to hand in a transcript of the speech (a written version of what you will say) you must practice the performance of the speech so that you do not rely too much on your notes. Remember, people are not just persuaded by the arguments but also by how you argue. At the very least you must persuade the jury that you believe that Guy is innocent!

You might conclude by suggesting an alternative explanation of who was responsible for planting the Gunpowder.

Good luck!

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