Ned Kelly Research Paper

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Australian’s Notorious “Hero” ‘Such is life.’ These were Ned Kelly’s final words before he was hanged for his immoral crimes. Ned Kelly was a notorious Australian outlaw who lived between 1854-1880. He was a murderer and cattle thief who exploited innocent people, frequently taking hostages in shoot-outs. Regardless of his criminality, some people have the audacity to claim Ned Kelly is Australia’s equivalent of Robin Hood. Although Ned Kelly is often wrongly glorified as an Australian folk hero, it is hard to disregard that he was a villain. First and foremost, he was a cold-blooded killer. He was also a formidable thief, and he frightened innocent people. Ned Kelly, is indisputably a villain because he murdered three policemen in cold blood. In 1880, the Kelly Gang instigated a shootout with the police near Stringybark Creek, which resulted in the deaths of three officers. This happened when a group of police officers were looking for Ned and his brother Dan near the Wombat Ranges. Sergeant Kennedy and Constables McIntyre, Lonigan, and …show more content…

He took hostages in shoot-outs and knew he was risking civilians’ safety when doing so. At the time, residents in small, remote towns with only a couple of police officers to protect them were terrified of the Kelly Gang. The police seemed powerless to apprehend them. The gang assassinated three men. And, despite having never killed a civilian, ‘he had made a number of dire threats to do so.' (page 85, Black Snake) Although, Ned treated his hostages well during the bank robberies in Euroa and Jerilderie, witnesses have claimed, "they were frightened of the Kellys." Page 85, Black Snake. This demonstrates that it made no difference whether Ned Kelly treated them well or not. Although Ned Kelly is often praised as an Australian folk hero, his actions clearly indicate that he is a villain, as a hero would never harm innocent

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