The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Hyde Analysis

Gothic literature is often characterized by an atmosphere of mystery, horror, and dread. Desolate or sinister settings common in Gothic literature are also crucial to plot development through their influence on characters. Additionally, the characters bear burdens which they often withhold as a result of their physical or emotional isolation. Gothic writers present a dramatic and ominous approach to developing the greater meaning of their work. The writers explore the duality of human nature with these literary elements, exposing the audience to darkness and evil. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, elements of isolation and

In Frankenstein, Victor deliberately secludes himself during his quest for forbidden knowledge, “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit” (Shelley 58). Victor confines himself in his laboratory at Ingolstadt, prioritizing his ambitions over human connections. However, Victor’s actions further isolate him when his experiment succeeds; Victor withholds his burden and feels reluctant to speak about his horrid creation, the monster. Victor’s agony and remorse for causing innocent deaths emphasize the consequences for transgressing limits. However, in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, events beyond the mariner’s control result in his isolation. The mariner slaughters the albatross, a symbol of fortune, which destroys his crew, “Alone, alone, all alone, / Alone on a wide wide sea! / And never a saint took pity on / My soul in agony” (Coleridge 231-235). The mariner evokes nature’s destructive powers which devastate his crew, leaving him stranded on a deserted ship. The mariner’s punishment is similar to Victor’s because both characters witness death but survive and live in solitude. They also both seek penance after their actions harm the people around them.