Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
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Old man telling a story about an albatross which hangs around his neck
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Ancient mariner narrates the story to a man bound for a wedding. Marriage
is a symbol of union. Killing of the albatross is a symbol of disunity
between man and animals. Crew becoming angry with the Mariner is a symbol
of disunity of society.
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Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with a 1000 Faces
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Heroes have the same difficulties to overcome and similar characteristics
even though they wear different masks
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Schema which hero follows:
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Separation
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Initiation
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Return to community
- Three Focal points of myths:
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Birth
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Reaching maturity
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Death
Coming to maturity is Campbells focus
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The hero ventures out and returns with things to share.
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What does the mariner return with?
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How does he share it?
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The mariner undergoes a series of separations:
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From his community-
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When he leaves with the crew.
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From his crew - Crew ties the dead bird around his neck
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From all humans (crew members die) until spirits revive the crew to help
the Mariner. They still have the same reproachful looks in their eyes as
they did before they died.
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Even when he returns, he is not totally re-integrated into society.
He sits alone unable to take part in the festivities.
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From nature - when he shoots the albatross & loathes the snakes
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From God - when he cannot pray
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From himself - when he suffers from guilt & is unable to will himself
to repentance.
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He returns with his story to tell. He is compelled to tell his story because
if any good is to come from his adventure he must pass it on. He had obtained
grace and he felt he must pass it on.
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80 Issue of Sin: Mariner shoots the bird out of spite. The albatross
was considered a good omen from God. By following the boat, it symbolized
unity of God, Humanity, and Nature.
The good weather the albatross brings shows their harmony and unity
with nature.
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The Mariner severed the unity when he shoots the bird. As they neared the
equator on their journey up the Pacific, they lost the wind & the sun
beat down mercilessly. Unity with God is lost. The Mariner is unable
to pray; he is cut off from God and the crew because they blame him. He
is tormented by his actions; relationship with himself is also disrupted.
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Every relationship is disrupted by Sin.
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His motive is unknown "the mystery of the corruption of will."
Why did he shoot the albatross? Why do people drive around country
highways shooting road-signs? Will in essence is what you desire.
He shot the bird because he wanted to.
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The other mariners, who earlier approved of his action, now make him the
scape-goat & hang the albatross around his neck instead of the cross.
A sign af alienation and condemnation replaces one of salvation.
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Consequence: 200 people die. Does the punishment fit the crime? It
may if we see the crime as an original sin, like that of Adam and Eve,
whose crime condemned billions to death. Unity with God and nature
has been broken. It seems extreme but the bird was an omen, not an average
bird.
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Original Sin one committed by Adam and Eve which we are all born
with. We are separated from God as they were;
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their relationship to each other was broken (they argued);
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with their bodies must die and have painful birth;
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with nature weeds and thorns in earth;
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with God hid from him.
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245 His alienation from himself. Tries to pray, but evil thoughts
keep him from it.
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285 He finds restoration by unconsciously blessing and loving the water
snakes. He is released from his curse because he has found love & respect
for nature; he has discovered love and humility and because of his attitude,
he is reunited with nature. Other relationships will also be somewhat
restored.
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407 Will have to do penance for his crime.
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440 Still cursed by his dead crewmates, he finds himself unable to pray.
He is restored by looking at the sea - he has already renewed his relationship
with nature.
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569 He looks so terrible from his ordeal that the kid thinks he's the Devil.
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574 "Shrieve me" = hear my confession, give me absolution, &
give me my penance. This formally restores his relationship with
God and with the community (the church).
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Line 610 disrupting relationship with nature causes others to be disrupted.
If you want to pray well, love nature and love people.
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582 & 624 - His boon is to tell his story, with the result that we
are sadder but wiser.
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Youth can be revived but the guest will spend the remainder of his time
with a philosophic mind reflecting over the past and enjoying the present.
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The Mariner will have a unified relationship with nature which means he
will be restored with God and himself. He can die peacefully.