The role of the Wedding-Guest adds to a touch of reality in the poem. He comes from a world that is totally different from the world of the ancient Mariner. The world of the Mariner is really ‘ancient’. The Wedding-Guest lives in the immediate present. He is going to attend a wedding party. He is in a hurry and has no time for the tale of the old Mariner. However, the bright-eyed Mariner keeps him under his spell. The Wedding-Guest has no choice but listen to the old Mariner’s tale like a child.
