Describe the circumstances under which the albatross was hung around the ancient mariner
Answers
According to them the Ancient Mariner's sin of killing the Albatross was the sole cause of their troubles. So they hung the dead Albatross around the Ancient Mariner's neck. They thought that by doing this only the Ancient Mariner would suffer for his sin, not the others.
The Ancient Mariner had shot the Albatross in a fit of instinct. After the death of the Albatross, the weather became unfavourable for them to continue their journey. The wind died, the sun intensified and there was no rain.
The ocean became “revolting”, “rotting” and “thrashing” with “slimy” creatures. The condition of the Mariners turned out to be very pathetic. The Mariners felt that the absence of the Albatross was the reason for their suffering.
They wanted to make him suffer for his crime as he had killed the bird that brought the wind and broke the ice.
All eyes turned to him accusingly and the dead Albatross was hung round his neck in place of the holy cross round his neck as a cursed reminder, so that the thought could plague him for the rest of his life.