Character in Rime of the Ancient Mariner
One might say that The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a one-man show! He is the protagonist, the antagonist, and the narrator. This character serves as the protagonist because he is the one to which all the action happens.
However, he is also his own worst enemy. His refusal to accept natural beauty in his heart leads to trails and curses that threaten to hold him forever.
It is only when he is able to open his heart to nature and God and engage in prayer that he finds himself redeemed. Since the poem sees the Ancient Mariner recounting his tale to a young wedding guest, he is also the narrator.
Ancient Mariner Characters
Who are the main characters in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
- Protagonist – The Ancient Mariner
- Antagonist – The Ancient Mariner
- Narrator – The Ancient Mariner
Ancient Mariner Character Descriptions
The Ancient Mariner
An unusually old man with skinny hands and a glittering eye. He detains a young wedding guest to recount his tales at sea in which he killed an Albatross and paid dearly for the sin. He feels compelled to randomly tell his tale to whoever will listen, bringing him intense emotional and physical pain in doing so.
The Wedding Guest
One of three people on their way to a wedding. This young man is detained by the Mariner and is entranced by his glittering eye. Although he wishes to attend the wedding, he feels strangely compelled to listen to the Mariner’s story. Although he feels fearful of the Mariner and hates to miss the wedding, he feels a sense of growth and becoming wiser from hearing out the tale.
The Sailors
The Mariner’s crew. When the Mariner kills the Albatross, they are angry at first. However, once the fog clears, they celebrate the Mariner’s actions. It doesn’t take long, though, for a terrible fate to take hold of the ship’s journey. Again, they are angry at the Mariner, blaming his killing of the Albatross for their misfortunes. In an effort to shame the Mariner, they hang the Albatross around his neck. When the sailors die, they leave a curse upon the Mariner.
The Albatross
A large sea bird that is assumed to have guided the ship out of an icy maze. The Albatross also creates a mist around the ship. Bothered by the mist, the Mariner shoots and kills and Albatross. Angered, the sailors hang its body around the Mariner’s neck and it cannot be removed until the Mariner learns how to reconcile his sins with the beauty of nature and prayer.
Death
One of the figures on the ghost ship that encounters the Mariner’s ship. He loses in dice to Life-in-Death, who claims the soul of the Mariner. Death claims the souls of the 200 sailors.
The Night-mare Life-in-Death
One of the figures on the ghost ship. She wins in dice and claims the Mariner’s soul, condemning him to never die but never really be a live, either.
Pilot and the Pilot’s Boy
The captain and his boy of a small boat that rows out to the Mariner’s ship. Both lose their mind when the Mariner abruptly comes to life.
Hermit
A guest on the small boat that rows out to the Mariner’s ship. The Mariner regards the Hermit highly and feels compelled to relate his story to him for the first time since his ordeal.
First Voice
When the Mariner is knocked out, this voice explains that the Mariner has offended a spirit by killing the Albatross.
Second Voice
After the first voice speaks, the second voice explains how the Mariner will pay for his crimes.
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