Character Analysis
The Mariner is the guy who accompanies Antigonus to Bohemia (somebody’s got to sail the ship) where baby Perdita is dumped off. After said dumping, the Mariner drowns as his ship sinks just off the “coast.” This happens at the exact same moment that Antigonus is eaten by a bear, which seems to suggest that both men are punished for their role in ditching an innocent baby.