Write a short note on the Wedding Guest.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a notable literary work by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Answer
Write a short note on the Wedding Guest.
The Wedding Guest is an important character in Coleridge’s (1772-1834) “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798). The Wedding Guest is a young man who is on his way to a wedding. Suddenly, he is stopped by the Ancient Mariner. The Mariner chooses him from among three people and forces him to listen to his story. This incident provides the structural frame for Coleridge’s poem.
At first, the Wedding Guest does not want to listen. He tries to leave because he is excited to attend the wedding. He cannot wait to listen to the Mariner, because already—
“The guests are met, the feast is set.”
But the Mariner’s “glittering eye” makes it impossible for the Wedding Guest to walk away—“he cannot choose but hear.” As the story continues, the Wedding Guest becomes more interested and also afraid. He listens carefully and reacts with shock and fear at different points in the tale. At one moment, he even thinks that the Mariner might be a ghost. But when the Mariner assures him that he is alive, the Wedding Guest feels a little relief and continues listening.
By the end of the poem, the Wedding Guest is a completely changed person. The Mariner’s story has deeply affected him. He misses the wedding, but this no longer seems important. Instead, he becomes—
“A sadder and a wiser man.”
The Mariner’s tale has taught him a lesson about loving God’s creature no matter how big or small/slimy. The Wedding Guest learns to respect the balance of nature and understand the consequences of cruel/thoughtless actions.
To wrap up, the Wedding Guest represents the reader in the poem. Just like him, we are forced to listen to the Mariner’s story and learn from it.