Day 4

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

  1. 1

    What does the Mariner hope the Hermit will do for him? Does he get what he hopes for?

    The Mariner hopes that the Hermit (as a holy man) will absolve him of his guilt. The Mariner tells his story for the first time. He feels the relief that he craves, but it is only temporary: he learns that he must repeat this ritual of storytelling over and over again in order to find peace.

  2. 2

    Why do you think the Mariner's ship sinks?

    There are several possible explanations, as the text does not give a reason. It may be that the spirits were keeping the ship afloat, and when they abandoned it, it sank naturally. It may be that spirits wanted to 'destroy the evidence' so...

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