Heroes Get Remembered, but Legends Never Die

By this definition, King Arthur is a legend. Texts like Avalon High prove that though King Arthur stands on his own, the way authors and storytellers continue to adapt the story perpetuate the tale in new ways. Mr. Morton/The Order of the Bear/Professors Harrison help demonstrate this point; Meg Cabot chose not to simply tell the story of King Arthur, but transform it into a Christ-like tale of resurrection, using Will as the hero of the world to save humanity the way Arthur did. With a sprinkle of cheesy teenage love. 

With this kind of story, it allows the story of Arthur to take on new life and evolve in a way that wouldn't be possible with a simple regurgitation of the legend. Through a teenage girl discovering the similarities of her high school crush to the great King Arthur, the story has now evolved into a modern tale that uses the original as a stepping stone. Without competing with the legend, stories like this one play with the idea of expanding. By taking the impressions left by the legend and creating something new, Cabot is taking the potential of expanding the legend and allowing it to flourish for a new audience. In this way, Arthur is no longer a hero, because he is not simply being remembered. He is a legend because he can't die with the, in this case literal, rebirth.