Olivia Hines Pd. 2 2017 Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Plot

Historical Context (What is going on in the world when this was written) : industrial revolution

Themes

  1. pride; man makes the mistake of being prideful over mother nature, when we should be humble because it is really she that is in charge.
  1. suffering; sometimes you may have to suffer, but there is always a break in the storm. no matter the mistake you make.
  1. nature vs. supernatural; our place in the natural world and our relationship with the supernatural

Characters

Wedding guest

Mariner

an older man who is so set on telling his story, casts a 'spell' on the young boy, the wedding guests, refusing to let him leave

a young man, just wanting to get to the party.

Samuel was was born on October 21, 1772, in Devonshire, England. He was an English poet, literary critic, and philosopher who was a leader of a British Romantic Movement. His critical work was highly influential, and he helped introduce German idealist philosophy to English-speaking culture. He attended Christ's hospital, and then Jesus College, though he would never receive a degree from the University. He enlisted himself into Royal Dragoons under a false name, due to rejection from a woman. His brothers after a few months arranged for his discharge by pleading "insane".

Part I

  1. Ship sails from England to the Antarctic, become stranded in the ice and fog until an Albatross shows up and then the ice splits and the ship sails through the Pacific
  1. a supernatural force is holding the young boy, keeping him from leaving. he is forced to listen due to the power in his eye
  1. Although the bird is playful and friendly to the mariners and seems to be a good omen, the mariner shoots it with his crossbow
  1. old man stopped a young man from going into a wedding in order to tell a story of a cursed ship.

Part II

  1. Ship is stuck in doldrums near equator and there are slimy sea creatures along with heat and thirst
  1. The St. Elmo's fire, and bioluminescence of the algae provoke the feelings of superstition in the sailors and they dream that and evil spirit has followed them from the land of mist and snow.
  1. The sailors initially blame the Mariner for killing the bird that brought the breeze but then praise the Mariner for killing the bird that brought them out of the land of snow and mist
  1. Sailers blame their fate on Mariner the albatross was hung from the his neck, a "mark of shame" and sign of guilt
  1. The ship changes direction, it is heading back North after sailing through the Antarctic. They are now in S. Pacific

Part III

Part IV

  1. Lady Luck is beautiful. They play dice and she wins. Ghost ship speeds away. Night falls
  1. Sailors curse him with their eyes and then fall dead on the ship's deck leaving the mariner alive all alone.
  1. The ghost ship was going really fast, it is a her with Death and Lady Luck aboard. They play dice for the sailor's souls
  1. Ship is stuck in doldrums; no wind and no water
  1. he is dying of thirst, the ship won't move, and weird slimy sea creatures surround the ship and play in the moonlight
  1. the mariner tries to pray but his heart is as dry as his mouth. he can't pray because she feels guilty and he has no tender feelings for God's creation
  1. mariner spends over a week on the ship
  1. eventually, after watching the creatures play, he developed a fondness for them and this feeling in his heart brings him redemption.
  1. he appreciates nature and blesses it, he can finally pray. the curse is lifted, albatross falls off.

a old Mariner holds wedding guest hostage with a curse to tell a story of a Mariner shooting an albatross killing his whole crew

Non-human Characters

Lady Luck

Albatross ]

slimy sea creatures

spirit of land of mist and snow

angels

death

other sailors

helmsman/steersman

Part V

3 wedding guest burst in and is afraid of the zombie sailors the mariner reassures him that is was all angels, when the sun comes up they all lay down and spirits leave their bodies

4 The spirits fly around the boat making sweet sounds, the ship moves on but not from the breeze. the spirit from the land of mist and snow

2 The dead sailors rise up and start to work the ropes the way they had when alive and the mariner helps

5 Ship takes off in a hurry, the mariner falls down and faints and hears 2 voices talking above his head. They say he's the one that shot the bird. He is paid for his crime but will continue to pay

1 Because the curse is lifted, he sleeps and when he wakes up it is raining-- then the wind is moving and the clouds are flying by showing him glimpses of the stars

not omnipotent

Part VI

3 The breezes start to blow and the Mariner is cheered. We have to move forward in our lives despite what has happened in the past.

4 He realizes that the ship has reached his home. He sees the harbor bay lit beautifully bu the moon and sees the pilot and his boy rowing out to help the ship into the harbor to port. Then Angels come and stand on the bodies of all the dead sailors and wave

2 The Mariner wakes up and the dead bodies are standing around him staring at him reminding him of his crime and guilt and the moon is glittering in their eyes.

5 The Mariner is excited because the Hermit from the woods who is a Holy man is in the boat too and the Mariner thinks he can cleanse his soul.

1 The 2 Angels are observing the ship as it drives the Mariner home to England. The Angels don't know who or what is making the ship.

Part VII

the pilot is scared, it's snowing

The mariner's ship sank, he found himself on the other boat

Hermit living by the sea awaits the mariner's arrival

They thought the mariner was supernatural

He is now doomed to tell the story at that very hour forever.