“There are two ways to be deceived. The first is to believe what is not true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true” (Kierkegaard, Søren. Good Reads.com). This is a quote that can be deconstructed by examining The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence and King Lear by William Shakespeare. Hagar and Lear are two individuals with similar characteristics and functions. The Stone Angel was published in 1964 and was one of Margaret's best-selling novels. It revolves around an aging woman, who tells the story of her present, as well as flashbacks from her past. The protagonist; Hagar Shipley is both selfish and bitter; however, this is due to poor education and isolation. William Shakespeare's King Lear was published in 1608. The protagonist; Lear, was also an aging, isolated and selfish man; however, he realizes his faults and shortcomings and works to correct them. Hagar and Lear encounter different struggles and end their lives with opposing visions of themselves. They both share the perceived worst times of their lives, as well as a definite worst time, and each experience an epiphany. In addition to their similarities, they have notable differences, such as their personality traits, their forgiveness towards those close to them, and their ultimate transformation. To truly grow and change, it's not about understanding your flaws better, but rather becoming selfless. Both Hagar and King Lear strive to change their flaws and dysfunctional life situations, striving for success and growth as individuals. Likewise, Hagar and King Lear both experienced the worst times of their lives. Hagar's perceived worst moment throughout her life quest is when she stumbles across an ad in the newspaper that Marvin and Doris; his son and his wife were in the middle of the paper throughout the drama. This is reflected in his words which indicate that he “…could have saved her”; (5.3.270). Lear dies of a broken heart. To conclude, King Lear changes from a selfish man to a selfless man and receives contentment from others and not from himself. As mentioned earlier, it is ironic that Hagar and Lear change character traits and face opposite ends. Although the two novels share both similar and different perspectives, there is evidence that there is a greater distinction between the differences between the characters. They both face blindness, success in different forms and transformations; however, they share different ways of doing so and a different ending for each of their quests. Either way, to truly grow and change as an individual, it's not about understanding your flaws better, but rather becoming a selfless being..