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William Shakespeare's King Lear and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex are two classic pieces of literature that are worth studying. This essay will discuss how free will and destiny function in the two plays. First, the plays will be introduced and analyzed separately to provide a basis for contrast and comparison. Once the foundation is established, more advanced ideas will be discussed, such as the concept of evil and literal and figurative sight. Oedipus Rex will be …

…will there is no choice between good and evil. The view that the world in Oedipus Rex is truly fated and King Lear's characters have free will is backed up by the judgments made by the characters. Oedipus does everything possible to avoid his fate but fails. King Lear and Gloucester bring their fate upon themselves by ignoring the truth. Living in a world with free will comes with the responsibility of making good judgments.