Does Coleridge's Quest Fit Campbell's Pattern? When one is looking at the poem "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Coleridge in comparison to the Quest Pattern set out by Joseph Campbell many different things can be interpreted. Coleridge's quest in the poem goes hand in hand with Campbell's pattern, although there are some events that happen at different times that are not set out by Campbell but do not interfere with the pattern. Also there are elements that fit into two different events . The quest that the mariner goes through follows Campbell's quest pattern almost exactly. In "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" the mariner's quest starts in the same way ...view middle of the document...
They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose; Nor spake, nor moved their eyes; it had been strange, even in a dream, To have seen those dead men rise. (V, 331-334) Campbell's pattern does not say anything about only being able to have one supernatural aid so Coleridge's poem still fits the quest pattern. Coleridge has two different elements that fit into two different events in the quest pattern. In Campbell's quest pattern there is a supernatural aid and the crossing of the first threshold. In Campbell's pattern these are two different elements but in Coleridge's poem the crossing of the threshold is the killing of one of the supernatural aids, which then becomes the threshold guardian. Campbell has a supernatural aid described as "The helpful crone and fairy godmother." (Campbell, Joseph) and while crossing the threshold there is a threshold guardian, this is described by "The hero goes forward in his adventure until he comes to the "threshold guardian" at the entrance to the zone of magnified power" (Campbell, Joseph). The albatross which starts out as a supernatural aid by helping the crew, gets killed and after the albatross is killed the roads of trials begin, And I had done a hellish thing And it would work'em woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird That make the breeze to blow. ( II, 91-94) and that is how the albatross can be a supernatural aid and the threshold guardian.Another supernatural aid that is also an element in another event is death's mate. She is also in the meeting with the godde...
