Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Throughout our class and readings this semester we have gone through many different pieces of literature discussing the many different themes, patterns, along with many other important elements that make up great pieces of literature. This semester we have been covering a lot of material on the uncanny more known as a feeling of strange or mysteriousness along with stories congaing lots of darks and gory images including lots of deaths and unexpected deaths. A pattern I have seen occur quite a lot throughout these readings is the mysterious unknown killings of many characters. In a few different stories this semester we are given the murders of a few different characters which are unknown and really helps build suspense and ultimately keeps
the reader interested. A few stories to be discussed are rime of the ancient mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Hamlet by Shakespeare, and Mariana by Tennyson. Although these stories are known as gothic and gory the disturbing murders of many different characters helps builds the suspense of the story and altogether create a well written gothic literature pieces. Rime of the Ancient Mariner by “Samuel Taylor Coleridge” is the story of an ancient mariner who looks to tell the story of a dramatic unusual journey he took a while ago, to a random man on his way to a wedding.
Not only is the story unusual, but presents some of the oddest encounters I have ever read before. Not only are there unusual deaths of shipmates but also an albatross bird which is killed by the mariner for no known reason. Not only does this help build the story but it also keeps the reader thinking and on the edge of their seat. As the story progresses the mariner and his crew seem to have to overcome many obstacles along their journey. As the trip starts to get better and the sailors seem to make it out of the unnatural weather, things only begin to get a little worse. Not only do they reach a ghost ship manned by death, which is where the mysteriousness really comes into play. All of a sudden all the ship mates except the mariner dropped dead on the deck. Not only is this odd and puzzling but very strange. In the story the article states “Four times fifty living men, (And I heard nor sigh nor groan) with heavy thump, a lifeless lump, They dropped down one by one.”(Coleridge. 4) This quotes explains the how each member of the mariner’s ship had died for absolutely no reason. This is very strange and confusing because we don’t see people dying for no reason every day. This sense of mysteriousness and not knowing, really helps create a good gothic literature piece
because it really shows the reader a side of darkness and something scary to think and make connections about. Another great title we worked with this year was Hamlet by “William Shakespeare” this piece of literature is known as one of Hamlets largest greatest pieces ever written. This piece is known for the revenge Hamlet Jr is called upon to kill his Uncle Claudius, for murdering his brother King Hamlet and then marrying King Hamlet’s wife Hamlets Jr’s mother. This is another pieces that contains many mysterious deaths that help make up gothic literature. In the story shakesphere states “Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for they noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity.” (Shakesphere. 69-74) (Act I, Scene II) This quote is Hamlets mother try’s to tell Hamlet to stop being upset over his father’s death and that these things are quite common even though you really only have one father. This quote is one of a kind, Hamlet writes this quote to be able to prove something to the readers but at the same time throw them off because later in the story Gertrude ends up marrying the killer Claudius. This creates a conflicts in the readers mind because no one would ever expect Gertrude to go back and marry Claudius after King Hamlet her husband was murdered by him. This quote really implements the writing of gothic literature because when you read this quote you feel nothing but deep dark emotion especially hearing someone’s supposed wife talk about their deceased husband the way she does, but then going back and marrying the killer right in front of their own sons face is just plain cruel and wrong. The last title I wanted to incorporate in this project is Marina by “Tennyson” I wanted to talk about this piece last because even though it was so small and a poem it was one of my favorites in the class and really stuck vivid images in my head that I just couldn’t seem to escape.
In the poem we are brought upon a woman who cannot seem to escape her dreary life on her old beat down farm day after day. In the poem the author uses the lines every other verse “She only said, "My life is dreary, He cometh not," she said; She said "I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!" (Tennyson) These lines not only show how the lady feels about herself but her beloved man who she says will never return. These lines really help make a stance for gothic ligature because by reading these lines over and over again, every verse after a couple times it really impacts a reader and the way the view the story, by using these lines right of the bat it allows the reader to view the rest of the poem in a sense of darkness and horror, which is really key when writing gothic
literature. Overall, all these stories include more than enough elements to show the nature of gothic literature. Even though some of these pieces of literature were a little gloomy and unwelcoming, authors still did a great job at keeping the reader involved and on the edge of their seats. Reading gothic pieces like this has really showed and taught me a lot as a reader and should continue to be read by students for many more years.