Ned Kelly – The Australian Villain
Edward “Ned” Kelly is a well-known and popular individual in Australian history. Many people have their own opinions about this famous individual. Some people think of him as a hero, while others think he is a brutal killer. For others, he may appear as a victim of circumstance. Ned Kelly is a villain, who was willing to take the wrong path for his own selfish desires and tried to account for his actions. He never reconsidered his actions nor chose to make the right choice.
Ned had embraced a criminal persona from a young age and approached life in a violent manner. Although targeted by the police at an early age, his actions later on truly showed his cold-blooded nature. His killing of three police officers in an attempt to have better weapons reflect his malicious intentions. Additionally, he struck fear into the people’s hearts as reflected in Carole Wilkinson’s book Black Snake; he killed a young girl’s father. She is terrified to sleep in her own bedroom, worried that Ned will come after her. “There’s something outside her window… Is one of the Kelly’s come to get her?” It is clear that Ned is the embodiment of anything that is barbaric and inhuman.
Ned had deeply immersed himself inside a criminal’s life, which blinded his ability to make good decisions. He instead focused on personal gain, caring only about his own well-being. Ned had numerous opportunities to live an honest life, but his lust for crime lead him to ignore this. Ned displayed inability to make good choices by resorting to crime once again after living for three years as an honest man. He carried on horse and cattle theft, and went on to become a hunted outlaw. Moreover, Ned tried to convince people that he was fighting for justice, but he simply committed unnecessary violence. If he wanted to fight injustice, he could have done so as a peace activist. This would have led people to consider him as an awe-inspiring leader. Nevertheless, Ned took up crime and villainy once again. This is evidence of Ned’s small-minded ideas.
While Ned may appear as a different person to others, he was a mere coward who tried to legitimize his actions. Ned has attempted, multiple times, to justify his crimes. He also endeavoured to turn people against the law, and project himself as a hero. Ned claimed that he killed the three police officers in self-defence, but he coldly shot them when they had no warning. Ned also portrayed a bank robbery as a skilful stealth operation. His prisoners claimed that Ned did not harm them during the robbery. He manipulated the people’s opinion of him while he stole the goods he needed. Despite his infamous reputation, he eventually proved he was a coward. In Wilkinson’s book, Superintendent Hare was remarked as saying, “Ned Kelly was only one who showed the white feather…he begged for mercy from the police.” This represents Ned as a purely unheroic individual, who tried to justify his actions.
It is evident that Ned Kelly had a villainous, cowardly and egocentric character. He was a heartless being who committed numerous crimes and then tried to rationalize them. He will be remembered as an unheroic criminal and nothing less.
