In this course, we will study the evidence for the existence of a historical Arthur as well as medieval and modem expressions of the complex and extensive myth of King Arthur and the Round Table. By reading fictional accounts of his Round Table (ranging from medieval chronicle and romance to modem novels and long poems) and viewing film adaptations of the Arthurian legend, students will achieve insight into the way facts are transformed by the national and individual imagination. The main critical approach will be "myth criticism," and we will look with particular care at the social and cultural "work" the myth does in its successive appearances. Although the primary sources of discussion will be literary (with occasional forays into art and music), the course will look at the use of Arthurian motifs to address multi- disciplinary themes and issues.