Question

“Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.”
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” how do readers know that the sailors thought killing the Albatross was wrong?

A.They cooked and ate the Albatross.

B.They look at the Albatross all day, old and young alike.

C.They threw the Mariner overboard.

D.They hung the Albatross around the Mariner’s neck.

Answer 1

D) Is the correct answer :)

Answer 2

Answer: D. They hung the Albatross around the Mariner’s neck.

We know that the crew believes the killing of the albatross to have been wrong because they decide to hung the albatross around the mariner's neck. After the mariner kills the animal, the crew believes this to be a wrong action because of how helpful and innocent the bird was. They eventually blame the mariner for all their misfortunes, believing it to be bad luck due to his reprehensible actions. As punishment, they force the man to wear the bid around his neck.