Rime of the Ancient Mariner Discussion

Pride-Tagged.pdf

THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

THEME OF PRIDE

In Christian writings, pride is one of the most basic and important sins, the one has been getting

humans in hot water ever since Adam and Eve. As the proverb says, pride goeth before the fall.

While it's not clear exactly why the Mariner shoots the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient

Mariner, the answer has something to do with pride. He obviously didn't intend to bring about

drought and death to the crew, but he thought they could do without this bird whose arrival

happened to coincide with a lot of good luck. The poem takes elements from the stories of

Adam and Eve and the crucifixion of Christ and weaves them into an entirely original take on

man's pride.

Questions About Pride:

Is pride the sin that causes the downfall of the Mariner? Do you see any evidence of it in his

actions?

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Do you think the ship's crew is guilty of the sin of pride? Explain your answer.

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How does shooting the albatross compare with the story of Adam and Eve eating the fruit from

the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden? (See Genesis 2 and 3.) Why

was eating the fruit considered prideful?

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Is the albatross meant to be a specifically Christian symbol? Explain your answer.

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Chew on This:

The dice game between Death and Life-and-Death is an appropriate part of the Mariner's

punishment because, when he killed the albatross, he expressed a belief that the world is

guided by luck and chaos. Respond to this idea by connecting it to other literature, or a movie,

or to a modern day event.