Question

what hellish thing had the ancient mariner done ? how did the shipmates react?

Answer 1

ancient mariner shots albertross with his strike -bow and kill it....
the shipmates reactd that they were very angry on mariner and hang albertross on his neck as a symbol of sin...hope you get answer.

Answer 2

Answer :

In the poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the ancient mariner does the hellish thing of shooting the albatross with his cross-bow and killing it without any rhyme or reason.

The sailors believed that the albatross was a messenger from God and its death would bring hardships upon them. The shipmates were very angry and upset with the ancient mariner and considered the killing of the albatross as a sign of bad omen. They cursed him hung the dead albatross around the neck of the ancient mariner as a symbol of the sin committed by him. They also put the blame of their difficult circumstances like being stuck in the silent sea and the scarcity of water on the heinous act committed by the ancient mariner.