Impacts on Morphology of Porous Polymethacrylate Adsorbent

Impacts on Morphology of Porous Polymethacrylate Adsorbent Study of the effect of external heating and internal temperature build-up during polymerization on the morphology of porous polymethacrylate adsorbent Chan Yi Wei, Clarence M. Ongkudon, Tamar Kansil Abstract. Modern day synthesis protocols of methacrylate monolithic polymer adsorbent are based on existing polymerization schemes without an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of pore structure and formation. This has resulted in ineffectiveness of polymer adsorbent thereby affecting final product recovery and purity, retention time, productivity and process economics. The problems magnified in monolith scaling-up where internal heat buildup resulting from external heating and high exothermic polymerization reaction was reflected in cracking of the adsorbent. We believe that through careful and precise control of the polymerization kinetics and parameters, it is possible to prepare macroporous methacrylate monolithic adsorbents with controlled pore structures despite being carried out in an unstirred mould. This research involved the study of the effect of scaling-up on pore morphology of monolith, in other words, porous polymethacrylate adsorbents that were prepared via bulk fr ee radical polymerization process by imaging the porous morphology of polymethacrylate with scanning electron microscope. INTRODUCTION Monolithic supports are novel developing technology with high potential, more so than conventional particulate supports. A lot of researches and developments have been conducted in the past decade to utilize monolithic supports as the stationary phase in chromatographic separation due to its scalable feasibilities and better hydrodynamics. The reason lies within the presence of interconnected macro pores in monolithic sorbents that allow convective transport mechanism instead of diffusion that features as the only mean of transport mechanism for particulate support. The monolith hydrodynamic property is predominated by convective transport mechanism, an important feature of a chromatography of larger molecules that are unable to penetrate into the internal structure of particulate support [1]. Monolithic support also features lower pressure drop that varies with different pore structure orientations [2, 3]. Such feature allows for higher mobile phase flow rates to be applied which co uld enhance the separation efficiency. Despite the low absolute surface area, the increase in flow rate actually more than makes up for the lost capacity for larger molecules due to smaller specific surface area. The comparison of physical characteristics between monolithic supports and particulate supports extend much further than pore size alone [4]. Monolith is constructed in an unstirred mould that features significant lack of interfacial tension between an aqueous and an organic phase thus leading to large interconnected flow-through channels. In contrast, bead polymers prepared from identical polymerization mixtures but in a suspension polymerization process do not exhibit the same type of macroporous structure with large flow-through channels [5]. Unstirred mould also results in poorer heat transfer, thus leading to formation of temperature gradient across the monolith sorbent with nuclei forming at different rates and porous channel forming at different sizes [6]. This inherent issue magnifies during monolith scaling-up with obvious cracks observed during polymerization process. The key to achieving controlled macroporous structure is dependent on gaining control over the process kinetics within the unstirred mould (e.g. temperature of reaction) [7]. This work involved the use of scanning electron microscope to visualize the morphology of porous methacrylate monolithic polymer under different porogen concentrations (50%, 60% and 70%) and different scales (2ml and 150ml) which provided a better insight on the effect of scaling-up on pore morphology. MATERIALS AND METHOD The monolith was prepared via free radical co-polymerization of cross-linker EDMA and GMA as functional monomers. EDMA/GMA mixture was combined with an alcohol-based porogen solvent in the proportion of 35/15/50(GMA/EDMA/cyclohexanol) making a solution with a total volume of 160ml. AIBN (1% weight with respect to monomer) was added to initiate the polymerization reaction. The polymer mixture was sonicated for 20 minutes. The mixture of 2ml and 150ml were gently transferred into conical 0.8 cm Ãâ€" 4 cm polypropylene column (BIORAD) and 5.0 cm x 10 cm Econo column (BIORAD) respectively sealed at the bottom end. The top end was sealed with a parafilm sheet and placed in a water bath for 3 h at 60oC. Same method was repeated for 21/9/70 and 28/12/60 (GMA/EDMA/cyclohexanol) mixture. For conical 0.8 cm x 4 cm polypropylene column, the polymer resin was washed with 400ml methanol at room temperature to remove all porogens and other soluble matters. The polymer was then washed with 200ml d eionized water at room temperature to remove trapped air bubbles. Slightly different washing method for econo 5.0 cm x 10 cm, the polymer resin was extracted and placed in 1.0 L beaker filled with 600ml of methanol followed by placing it inside incubator shaker overnight under 140 rpm and 37oC. The next day, methanol was replaced with 600ml of deionised water under same incubation condition for 4 hours. For analysis of monolith morphology, the monolith was oven dried at 70à ¢- ¦C overnight and scanning electron microscopy was done at 15 kV using high resolution scanning electron microscope (Hitachi S-3400N, Japan) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION As can be observed from Fig. 1, both small scale and large scale porous polymethacrylate sorbents featured the increment of globules and pores size as the concentration of porogen was increased while monomer and cross-linked agent decreased. This phenomenon was due to the fact that an increase in the EDMA concentration led to the formation of more cross-linked nuclei and magnified by the presence of more functional monomer GMA consequently limiting their swelling which resulted in the concentration of the monomers in the swollen gel nuclei becoming lower than that in the solution. Hence, the chances of newly formed nuclei adsorbed by the macro pre-formed globules by coalescence of nuclei in abundance decreased greatly. The decline in local concentration of monomer decreased the size of the globules and thus contributing to the overall decrease in the pore size. External heating and exothermic heat buildup associated with the construction of polymethacrylate sorbent also play a role in the pore formation. The rate of initiator decomposition and free radicals formation rely heavily on temperature. The rate of radicals formation declines significantly at lower temperature than at higher temperature which results in lesser number of nuclei formed per unit time. This allows the coalescence of many nuclei that result in formation of larger preglobules and larger pore size as well as delayed formation of monolith. The same is true for pore formation at higher temperature. High level of exothermic free radical copolymerization reaction and external heating contribute greatly to immense heat buildup within the polymerization mixture. Reaction that takes place in an unstirred mould could contribute to exothermic heat buildup to a certain degree. Hence, the relative differences in the rate of radicals formation, nuclei and pore sizes can be deduced by observing the results in Fig. 2. The effect of heat buildup was profoundly increased in 150ml volume, in which cracking occurred and the monolith was considered unreliable. It was presumed that the exothermic heat build-up led to pressure build-up which eventually forced the monolith structure to break apart. FIGURE 1. Effect of both cross-linking agent and monomer concentration in the polymerization mixture on the surface morphology of methacrylate monolith. Polymerizations were carried out with a constant monomer ratio (EDMA/GMA) of 30/70; porogen concentrations of 50%, 60% and 70%; polymerization temperature of 60 à ¢- ¦C; AIBN concentration of 1% (w/w) of monomers. The SEM pictures show increased pores size with increased concentration of porogen in the polymerized feedstock. Microscopic analysis was performed at 15 kV. FIGURE 2. The effect of exothermic heat associated with the construction of large scale (150ml) polymethacrylate monolithic column on the surface morphology of methacrylate monolith. Polymerizations were carried out with a constant monomer ratio (EDMA/GMA) of 30/70; porogen concentrations of 70%; polymerization temperature of 60 à ¢- ¦C; AIBN concentration of 1% (w/w) of monomers. The SEM pictures show heterogenous globules and pores size distribution due to instant heat buildup generated from external heating and high exothermic reaction associated with the construction of polymethacrylate monolith. Microscopic analysis was performed at 15 kV. CONCLUSION There were not many differences when we compared the polymethacrylate adsorbents of both small scale and large scale monolith from 50%, 60% and 70% porogen content in terms of globules and pore sizes (Fig. 1). However, the effect of exothermic heat buildup was evident (data not shown) in large-scale monolith and without a doubt contributed to heterogeneous pore size distribution across the adsorbent compared to small scale monolith as evident from Fig. 2. Thus, further analysis is required in characterizing the pore size from different sections of the adsorbent in order to obtain a conclusive summary of the effect of scaling-up on the pore size distribution. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank UMS (University Malaysia Sabah) Research Priority Grant for funding this project that is essential in establishing the foundation for next step forward on the scaling up of monolithic adsorbent.

Of Mice and Men Characters Essay

In the novel, Candy and Curley’s wife play a large part of the ideas that Steinbeck wants to convey through â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. Steinbeck shows this via the events and treatments that these two characters undergo. Their speech and actions also indicate major themes in the world they were in and how desperate the era was. Candy presents an element on the sadness in the novel; he’s a unfortunate man who’s passed his expiry date. He’s been involved in an accident and lost his arm and by this, he has been reduced to the swamper of the rank- a very low status job. Steinbeck may specifically choose this job for candy as a swamper (a cleaner) tends to be a job that woman generally work as and in this job, they often gossip a lot like Candy does. He does this as it is the only pleasure that he can experience in his sad rotting life. This paints the portrait of how sad Candy’s background may be and soon this is elaborated on even more in future events. In the middle section of the book, we see how Candy is bullied by Carlson into having his best friend- his dog put down. We know that Candy is very close to his dog as Steinbeck actually chooses to describe the dog very similarly to Candy. They are both old, physically impaired and get described generally as a liability. Steinbeck chooses to describe the dog as â€Å"ancient† which produces strong imagery of a dog being similar to an old antique. Although it may possess positive connotations, it is obvious due to Carlson’s reaction that the dog is old, dirty and has no purpose anymore. Soon after as Carlson enforces the idea, Candy desperately tries to dismiss it. It states how he looked â€Å"helplessly† which shows how reluctant he is but knows there is no other possible outcome. Carlson even shows utter disrespect to his dog by pointing at it with his â€Å"toe†. By using his tower, he suggests that the dog is on par with the lowliest part of his body and doesn’t require the effort to use his hands. Nevertheless, Candy shows no aggression to this outrageous act and concedes to Carlson’s insensitive actions. Steinbeck may choose these chain of events to show how a cruel world the characters and people had to live in. It really puts forward survival of the fittest and shows how depressingly cheap life is since people can easily walk over you when you’re unable to fight for yourself. Even after all the abuse he has received, Candy is still able to show kindness to others. At the point where Candy overhears George’s dream, he slowly asks whether he can join them. We know that he isn’t greedy at this point since he repeatedly mentions how he would willingly try his best with jobs such as â€Å"cook† or â€Å"hoe† despite he â€Å"ain’t much good.† He also says how he is willing to give up all his money he received when he â€Å"los'† his â€Å"hand† and this just shows how he is desperately giving all he has to help them only for a little in return. Steinbeck emphasises how emotionally willing Candy is that he would trade in the compensation for something irreplaceable to him for the benefit of others. This makes the reader sympathize with Candy and understand how strong dreams are in life; how they give people hope, the strength to keep living and the strength to be a nice person again. Curley’s wife on the other hand is the complete opposite. Her story plays a large part in the novel as it shows how dreams can crush people’s hope as easily and they give people hope. Throughout the novel, we have always seen Curley’s wife as the problem. She is described as â€Å"poison† and â€Å"jailbait† by George which initially makes readers dislike her. We feel that she can cause the downfall of our newly made friend’s dreams so she is instantly given a hostility status by Steinbeck. However, he may deliberately do this to create a larger impact when we learn why she may possibly act the way she does. At earlier stages of the novel, we learn how Curley’s wife loves and seeks attention. Steinbeck describes how she was â€Å"standing† at the doorway blocking off the â€Å"sunshine in the doorway† deliberately. This implies that she wants the men in the bunkhouse to look up due to the sudden change as she purposefully blocks the light off so that they would do so. It also describes how she was â€Å"heavily made up† that she was making a large effort to attract attention of the men. The word â€Å"heavily† also has connotations that she was trying to hard to an extent where it had negative effects on her. This may also symbolize her character through physical features- that her personality has been corrupted and turned ugly. In the final stages of the book, we learn what has driven Curley’s wife to act in this aggressive way. Although she speaks to groups of men with hostility, when its one on one, it runs a lot more smoothly and she seems like she enjoys herself. This has a large contract since there is juxtaposition between section 4 and 5. We see her nasty side where she mock George, Lennie and Candy’s dream calling it â€Å"baloney† and â€Å"scoffs at it† yet even herself who has been crushed by her own dream may â€Å"secretly believe†. This shows that beneath this angry cover of hers, may be a vulnerable person who only feels the bitterness and jealousy of other’s happiness hinted by the phrase â€Å"secretly believe†. Steinbeck states this about the cowboy magazines to suggest what type of sad life people live in however, within dreams still lies hope but people are afraid to admit to the hope since they are scared of the criticism others show. This idea is developed implicitly mainly by the word â€Å"secret†. Through this attitude, people have become cynical and cold over the time which is what Steinbeck may want to show us. Curley’s wife shares with Lennie her dream in section 5. The fact that she has never told anyone (which she states herself) shows how underneath all the bitterness she has experienced, the memory of the dream she once had (or partially may still have) changes her to be kind and share her deepest secrets with a stranger. On the other hand, Lennie may be an exception since he is â€Å"nuts† implying that he may be able to keep this secret. Furthermore, we learn how Curley’s wife left home since she had a hunch that her mother â€Å"stole† her letters. The word â€Å"stole† in this context possesses quite negative connotations since Curley’s wife directly accuses her own mother for betraying her. However, this was most likely an excuse and lie to herself since she couldn’t bear the reality of having her dream crushed by the stranger who created it. This yet again emphasises how strong dreams were at this time which broke lives altogether. Compare how female speakers are presented in ‘Havisham’ by Carol Ann Duffy and one poem from the Pre-1914 Poetry Bank. The two female speakers in â€Å"Havisham† and â€Å"The laboratory† both are presented as rather mentally unstable people. They both have experienced rejection from a man and feel belittled or embarrassed by this. However, their reactions and response to this rejection differ to a huge extent. The speaker in â€Å"Havisham† is shown to have rotted away being devoured by her bitterness whereas the speaker in â€Å"Lab† seemed to be slightly more insane driven by her jealous feelings of insecurity to try and kill someone. The bitterness from the character in â€Å"Havisham† is clear from the start. She describes the man who left her as a â€Å"beloved sweetheart bastard†. This use of oxymoron shows several possible connotations. By putting two very opposite words together- one stating strong affection and one stating utter most hate, the idea that beneath the hate she holds against him lies love for him. Elaborating on this may suggest how she may hate him as she can’t have him or even because she actually still loves him deep inside. Above all, this suggests how she can’t seem to let go of him and move on which presents her mental state to the readers. Likewise in â€Å"Lab†, we understand the feelings of the speaker through clever use of language. For instance, Robert Browning chooses to say â€Å"devil’s smithy†. Devil automatically conjures the sense of evil or corruptness whereas a smithy is somewhere where things are made such as weapons (blacksmith). These combined imply that a creation of evil with malicious intent is occurring in the poem. Soon after we discover that the protagonist has experienced similar rejection to that of â€Å"Havisham†. â€Å"He is with her† suggests that the man he wants is with another woman. By referring to them as â€Å"he† and â€Å"her†, it creates an enigmatic feeling or even that their names are insignificant and it is purely the concept that she has been left for a woman who is better than her which causes her rage. We know that she is also jealous when the speaker wishes for the other woman â€Å"breast and her arms and her hands† to â€Å"drop dead†. She specifically chooses these body parts implying that these are the parts which the other women best her at and this is why she hates them. In â€Å"Havisham†, the speakers reaction to this rejection was simply to rot with it burning them. She continues to feel this bitterness as suggested with the word â€Å"Spinster†. This word possesses a harsh consonance sound as if she spits it out with such disgust. It is also a one word sentence which emphasises it and also makes it out to be some what of an insult. The word â€Å"stink and remember† following afterwards reinforces this as if she’s being driven crazy by the thought of people calling her a â€Å"spinster†. Thus all she does for the rest of her days is rot in her hate. We get the impression that she’s been doing this for years since she describes how her â€Å"dress yellowing†- yellowing suggesting dirtying from the years it’s been on her. On the otherhand, the speaker is â€Å"Lab† is made out to be more malicious than having thoughts of hate. As she makes the poison, she describes the creation with very vivid verbal details. â€Å"Grind away, moisten and mash up† create strong imagery and each of the verbs hold strong care in creating something. By suggesting this care and importance that has gone into the poison, it seems that she really relishes the creation. And finally as she fantasises about how delicious the event would be, she thinks about how the â€Å"dying face† would be â€Å"branded† into the male characters mind. She wants to mentally scar him with the horrendous image possibly for punishment or to make him see how ugly the other woman is when she becomes â€Å"shrivelled† suggesting how her face would become contorted with agony. As she describes this with such detail and precision, the poet presents to us how malicious and bitter the speaker is. A thus through use of language and theme, the poets have successfully produces a very clear image of the bitter, hate filled speakers and how they’ve become this way and even how they have dealt with this. The speaker in â€Å"Havisham† rotting and â€Å"yellowing† opposed to the â€Å"minion† in â€Å"Lab† who relishes in the thought of killing and branding someone with the scarring image of death.

A Very Short Story By David Seed - 1476 Words

Science Fiction has proven to be a difficult term to define, but has become one of the most popular genres of all time. We see science fiction in films, poetry, literature and in the imagination of every child. In the novel, A Very Short Introduction by David Seed, he discusses in six chapters the unconventional genre known as science fiction. The In the Novel, A Very Short Story By David Seed, he includes topics such as science and technology, space, aliens, utopias, gender, and its relation to time past, present, and future and so on. To begin, before reading this book I had a good understanding of science fiction due to the novels that I have read and discussed in class this semester. Having said that I had some problems while†¦show more content†¦David Seed starts off with discussing voyages into space and sea journeys that can be seen in works such as Gulliver’s Travels and Enders Game. Many people enjoy reading novels on space travel because it’s an actual glance into the future. These stories give us the idea that there could possibly be flying cars, hologram communication, alien interactions and of course settlement onto alien planets. Space travel has been seen in works by H.G. Wells and the late and great Edgar Allen Poe. Space voyages has become and will stay one of the staple genres in science fiction. Aliens are some of the world’s most controversial and talked about creatures in the universe. People from different cultures, religions, and parts of the world may call them different things, they all share the same concept about the strange people or creatures from different worlds visiting earth. Sightings of aliens and other extraterrestrial beings have been reported for thousands of years, and are still present in today’s day and age. According to David Seed the concept of aliens in science fiction can be understood by three overlapping senses. According to the novel the three senses are â€Å"It could refer to startlingly different being sometimes from other planets†, which is the most universal definition of an alien. Second â€Å"it could refer to social estrangement†, like we seen in the blood sucking Martians in The War of the worldsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of I Shot The Sheriff Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesStories within Music Flash fiction can take on many different forms and structures. The type of material used and the way it is used can vary exceedingly or in the slightest way. Using media, such as music, can help make the story relevant towards the reader, and also help guide the author in his or her particular direction. As mentioned earlier, the way outside resources gets used can vary as seen in both Tourà © â€Å"I Shot the Sheriff† and Chris L. Terry â€Å"At Home with Rapper’s Delight†. Although bothRead MoreDickens Life Expressed Through Pip in Great Expectations Essay585 Words   |  3 Pagesreleased in book form in August 1861, although was previously issued by David Copperfield in 1849. This novel reworks his own childhood as a first-person narrative; Dickens was fortunate and had an advantage of writing Great Expectations due to him living in the Victorian times, and he related his life experiences with the main character of the play, ‘Pip’. Charles ope ned the play with the character Pip; his name was short for his Christian name Philip. In the Victorian times there were 3 differentRead More Compare and Contrast ?Genesis? and ?Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest?,1261 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Forest†, Looking at both myth and short story. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Although there are many similarities present, a distinct difference is made between â€Å"Genesis† and quot;Penetrating to the Heart of the Forestquot; in that â€Å"Genesis† is a mythical narrative while quot;Penetrating to the Heart of the Forestquot; is an adaptation of a mythic story (Adam and Eve) in the form of a short story. When comparing and contrasting these two stories we see similarities in storyline, themesRead More Discuss some of the ways in which Seamus Heaney makes use of the past1613 Words   |  7 Pagesrepeating the words ‘digging’ and ‘roots’ it â€Å"shows how the poet, in his writing, is getting back to his own roots (his identity, and where his family comes from)†. However, in ‘Mid-term Break’ we see a very different picture of Heaney’s Father then in ‘Digging’, where his Father is a very tough and masculine character, never stopping for a break ‘stooping in rhythm through potato drills’. Whereas in ‘Mid-term Break’ Heaney remembers ‘In the porch I met my father crying-He had always taken Read More Death of a Salesman Structure Metaphoric Language and Theme1542 Words   |  7 Pagesthat Willy Loman is not a tragic hero but a victim of a false idealistic pursuit of the â€Å"American Dream†. Willy strives to become and instill in his sons the success of the self made man that American society often advertises but ultimately falls short, and instead, escapes accepting his failure through lies and death. What many flaws Willy possesses, most do not correlate with the classic tragic hero. Willy Loman, was never really of noble stature, as was summed up by Linda, the personRead MoreMovie Analysis : Hyper Real Essay1689 Words   |  7 Pagesfilms. Thanks to the CGI found in Pixar films, the story can be told more through cinematography instead of relying entirely on the mise-en-scene like previous Disney films. For example, when Buzz and Woody are captured by the mean kid next door, Sid, and taken back to his house. The camera shows the point of view of the toys, a shot generally associated with live-action films. The film is also littered with phot realistic shots such as a very realistic view of Sid’s backyard when the toys try toRead MoreWe Still Talk About Jesus1275 Words   |  6 Pagespeople came out of the wood works. This film brings a human element to the whole story. Commonly biblical stories are told with a goal in mind, to teach people about the word of God and the works of Jesus, and how to parley that into how you should conduct yourself daily. We (collectively, outside of seminary students and religious figures and fanatics) look at the story as a whole. This film breaks down the story into individual novellas. The characters are of two minds, they are complex andRead MoreCold War in the Eyes of Ray Bradbury1689 Words   |  7 PagesRay Bradbury, from small town America (Waukegan, Illinois), wrote two very distinctly different novels in the early Cold War era. The first was The Martian Chronicles (1950) know for its â€Å"collection† of short stories that, by name, implies a broad historical rather than a primarily individual account and Fahrenheit 451 (1953), which centers on Guy Montag. The thematic similarities of Mars coupled with the state of the American mindset during the Cold War era entwine the two novels on the surfaceRead MoreThe New Zealand Permanent Mission Essay1493 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful â€Å"Kiwi† business people provided us with direct insights on how to do business in the USA from both entrepreneurial and corporate perspectives. Although collaboration and networking was a common theme throughout the tour, one story that struck a chord with me was the story of Reuben Prier (Research Analyst, JP Morgan) who had moved to New York to start a career, but, no matter how hard he tried he was unable to find work. He decided to approach other Kiwis working in New York to see if they couldRead MoreI Am Keith Anthony James2079 Words   |  9 PagesI am Keith Anthony James lll. A lover of Jesus Christ, a self-proclaimed activist, philosopher, poet, disciple, and clergyman. Life is short, and the irreducible common denominator of all men is death. At death’s door stands Jesus. How I live my life now depends on how that conversation goes. I want to hear, â€Å"Well done good and faithful servant! I will put you in charge of many things, come and share your Master’s happiness.† (Matthew 25:23) Eternity is perennial†¦ wouldn’t you agree? Jesus Christ

Good vs. Evil Found in Beowulf - 807 Words

Good vs. Evil Found in Beowulf In the story of Beowulf, there are many different themes found. Many people argue the main theme found in this story. This has been argued for a very long time and will go on for many more years to come. Although many themes in this story stick out and a main theme will never be accepted, one main theme is very noticeable in the story of Beowulf. The main theme found in Beowulf is good versus evil. Good versus evil is very easy to recognize. â€Å"Some people just want to do good things or choose to be good, they are considered good. Others choose to do the opposite, and do evil things, they are considered evil. The evil found in Beowulf is Grendel; he is a complete monster. The good character found in the story is Beowulf, along with other characters that fight against Grendel. Beowulf is considered the main source of good because he is the bravest, strongest, and makes a long journey just to defeat Grendel, so he can be remembered,†( Beowulf: Good vs. evil, Putz). â€Å"Goodness is represented throughout the poem by other characters of Beowulf, such as King Hrothgar, Wiglaf, and their actions,† (Beowulf good vs evil analysis, Studymode). â€Å"Goodness is not only portrayed by selfless acts, but also by its ability to purge and cleanse evil,† (Good vs Evil). Beowulf takes it upon himself to announce several great deeds that he will perform to help countries in need. One of these deeds is his offer to King Hrothgar, in which he proposes to slayShow MoreRelatedA Summary of the Epic of Beowulf Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pages Beowulf is a story that takes place in medieval Europe, the main part of the story is about a knight, Beowulf, who has to fight evil creatures such as a dragon. No one is exactly sure who wrote Beowulf, Paleographers believe that the soul surviving manuscript was copied down in the late tenth century or early eleventh. This early copy of Beowulf is still around today. This single manuscript can be found in the British Library in London. Scholars believe that the story itself was written betweenRead MoreEssay on Good vs Evil in Beowulf1568 Words   |  7 PagesIn Beowulf, the clash between good and evil is the poems main and most significant focal point. Although the epic poem Beowulf utilizes many characteristics of Christian themes, the violence in the poem relates to paganism. By exploring the characteristics of â€Å"good vs. evil† such as Cain, Grendel and Beowulf, this paper will explore the elements of Beowulf in such a light. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English languageRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn the beginning all was good; there was no evil. The start of evil was marked when a jealous angel, Satan, desired equality to God. He thrust an ever-lasting battle into play when he battled God for supremacy. One-third of all the angels in heaven, including Satan, were thrown from heaven onto Earth. God’s perfect creation became faulted when the fallen angel, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve into eating a forbidden fruit. By partaking of the forbidden fruit, sin was born on Earth. The birthing of suchRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf By William Shakespeare935 Words   |  4 Pagesfirefighter who s willing to put down his life for the good of others , well Beowulf was both. In the novel Beowulf , to me, the main theme of the entire story is heroism. Beowulf is your knight in shining armor or your fire fighter who goes into a living hell to save a kitten. Heroism is scattered all over this epic poem. Sure paganism and christianity are in it as well as good vs evil but they are not as i would say the backbone of Beowulf. to prove my opinion I shall gather quotes from the epicRead MoreEssay on Good and Evil in Beowulf1042 Words   |  5 PagesThe story of Beowulf was probably composed in England sometime in the Eighth Century AD, and written down circa 1000 AD, by a literate scop (bard) or perhaps a Christian scribe who was possibly educated in a monastery. The poem was created in oral tradition and was transferred to writing over time. It had its roots in folk tales and traditional stories until some very talented poet put it in something very near to its current form. The poem was more than likely performed for audiences at courtRead MoreBeowulf vs. Gilgamesh1212 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf Vs. Gilgamesh The two cultures I chose to compare heroic values for are the ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Anglo-Saxon cultures. The texts I used in the comparison are Gilgamesh for Mesopotamia and Beowulf for Anglo-Saxon. Although they posses many similar heroic characteristics they also differ greatly. Beowulf is the earliest surviving epic poem written in a modern European language. It was written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem describes the adventuresRead MoreThe Importance Of Heroism In Beowulf1073 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf is a classic, epic story which theme focuses on good versus evil, â€Å"Beowulf is essentially a heathen poem† (Bodek) said F.A Blackburn because it consists of elements drawn from Anglo-Saxons culture before they were converted to Christians. It is tidily divided into three parts; The battle with Grendel, The battle with Grendel’s mother and the battle with the Dragon. The poem deals with Germanic forebears, the Danes, the Geats and the Swedes. This story features a super-strong warrior BeowulfRead More Epic of Beowulf Essay - A True Literary Epic1700 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf : A True Literary Epic       The Adventures of Beowulf, a rousing Old English poem of man and monster, and perhaps the earliest European vernacular epic, is rightfully considered an epic for it possesses those features which characterize epic poetry.    For example, in epic poetry the central character has heroic or superhuman qualities. In The Adventures of Beowulf, the main character, a Geat warrior named Beowulf, possesses such qualities: â€Å"He was the strongest of men alive inRead MoreEssay on Grendel1169 Words   |  5 Pages In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic epic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and lovedRead MoreBeowulf : The Oldest Surviving English Poem2174 Words   |  9 PagesProfessor Jacobs Beowulf The epic poem Beowulf is known to be the oldest surviving English poem. It is written Old English or some call it Anglo-Saxon, which is the basis for the language we speak today. Many epics were not originally written down by their authors. Instead, they were memorized and retold or sung by wandering entertainers. Beowulf was written somewhere between the 8th and 11th century, the exact date is unknown and the author of this poem also remains unknown. With Beowulf being the oldest