Was William wrong all along??-Moriarty the Patriot {S1+S2}
My take is to focus on the moral aspects of William
Moriarty the Patriot is a detective drama anime in which Sherlock Holmes’s formidable opponent Prof William James Moriarty plays the protagonist. William is an anti-hero and is determined to fight the injustice of the British class system. The setting depicts England during the late 19th century when class oppression was at its peak. Several accounts of Aristocratic exploitation and oppression were present throughout the anime which emphasizes a need for change within the system and people. William and his group aspire to create an egalitarian society by resolving class conflict through means of violence. He feels that the extermination of evil aristocrats is the only means through which society would become a better place to live. It is his method of doing justice and reforming the society.
However, there is another side to this as well. William is a brilliant orator and through his compelling speeches, he manipulates innocent victims to sacrifice themselves so that plans get well executed. Victims are also willing to do this because they are deprived of dignity and respect from society which they attain through his clever words. Victims find glimmering hope within him and entrust their life to him. I find this transactional relationship to be problematic. An innocent human life is much more valuable than that. The victim's resolve to cope with the harsh realities of life and to move ahead is nowhere to be seen. An ideology that only death can avenge and bring solace to victims is being glorified. Revenge may relieve agony and sorrow however it does not seal the emotional void created due to the death. Victims are presented in their heightened emotions with the impulsive desire to either die or kill. I feel both of these binaries to be problematic because an aristocrat’s death won't liberate society from its shortcoming nor sacrificing an innocent life for their death will change anything.
Can violence create an egalitarian society?
As we trace the events throughout the anime, it seems as if this idea of violence was William Moriarty’s sheer sadistic thirst for murder. Moriarty group is like a cult where individuals with a similar mindset trust William’s ideology to the extent that they stop questioning his method of doing justice.
Class oppression is a complex socio-economic issue and to what extent violence can solve this issue is highly questionable. I would like to clear my side, as I am not against William’s sense of justice. However, I am questioning the means through which he is doing his justice. I feel that even if one bad guy dies then another will take over him because murder only kills a person, not a mindset.
Moriarty group's action creates fear and horror in society but does not contribute to any sort of change in mindset among people. Though, towards the end, William becomes a common enemy of the society that also doesn't bring any long-term change. Anime conveniently crafts the ending of the anime depicting a disastrous fire that unites commoners and Aristocrats. However, there was no build-up or any similar class interaction throughout both seasons to depict this unity. I would say rather this ending only defends William’s action.
So, does that suggest that William is a bad guy after all?
William is a complex character. William loved commoners and was frustrated due to class inequalities. Another reason why I question William’s action is due to his standing in the social hierarchy. Moriarty family is quite powerful and they have the power, influence, and wealth to impact society. Despite all of these reasons, it intrigues me why they still chose violence when he can have other possible means to do so.
Towards the end, William feels that he is guilty of his crimes. His hands were soaked in crimson blood of innocents and nobles. His final act of doing justice was his death. However, I wonder was death ultimate act of penance? and should William get to judge and decide for himself?
Albert gets the imprisonment and louis has to serve the Queen for rest of his life and William exiles. Was William really punished for his acts? Or was it one of the William's clever scheme to get away from punishment?