LOS ANGELES (AP) – Visitors to the University of Southern California might be muttering, “What fools these mortals be,” as they stroll past a statue of the legendary queen of Troy and notice William Shakespeare’s name seemingly misspelled at the base. To USC officials, it’s much ado about nothing.
“To E, or not to E, that is the question,” the school responded in a statement Tuesday when asked why Shakespeare’s name is missing the last letter E in a quotation attributed to him.
The school says Shakespeare’s name has been spelled many different ways over the years.
USC says it settled on a popular 18th century spelling because of the “ancient feel” sculptor Christopher Slatoff gave the work.
The statue, of Queen Hecuba, was unveiled at Thursday’s opening of the school’s new USC Village.
