A Column of Fire

The central theme of A Column of Fire is the search for tolerance among the acts and policies of religious intolerance in 16th- and 17th-century Europe. While many characters display intolerant attitudes regarding the freedom of worship, Rollo most overtly exemplifies the stance of religious intolerance. Throughout his life, he dedicates himself to destroying Protestantism, viewing his cause as the only way to save England from heresy. He expresses an intense hatred for Protestants and a desire for their destruction, saying “I want to wipe them out, destroy them, kill every last one of them” (532). This religious fervor pushes him to commit extreme acts in an attempt to destabilize the political structures supporting English Protestantism. However, this fanaticism leads to frustration and disappointment as his efforts repeatedly fail. Rather than deterring him, his failures spur him to hatch increasingly desperate plans. Even when he suffers personal losses, he justifies his actions by claiming that he is merely following God's will. In the end, Rollo helps to plan the Gunpowder Plot, which would have killed many members of Parliament and most of the Royal family if it had been successful—all for the sake of a last attempt to achieve his vision of a Catholic England.