Shakespeare Playing Cards
A quote from the Bard on every card

from Prospero Art

These marvelous new products created by two gentlemen of San Francisco will enhance your enjoyment of whatever card game you fancy, and increase your knowledge of the Great Bard at the same time. These quality playing cards, printed by playing card specialists who only print playing cards, feature splendid full color designs in the style of the English High Renaissance. The cards feature a quote on each card, totalling 54 quotes in each deck. Tha aces, face cards and jokers feature historical pastiches using images from old masters such as Michelangelo and Rembrandt. The decks come encased in handsome, full color tuck boxes, and are individually cello-wrapped for product protection, bar coded for easy inventory control at stores.

The art featured on these cards are watercolored pen and ink drawings by Jan Padover, derived from the recognized masters of art history. Prospero Art's passion is to create cards that are both artistic and literary.

“Shakespeare Playing Cards are beautiful and very intelligently thought out.”
~ Ron Rosenbaum, author of
The Shakespeare Wars: Clashing Scholars, Public Fiascoes, Palace Coups

“Cleverness worthy of the Great Bard!”
~ shakespearesden.com

“Shakespeare and Shakespeare Insult Playing Cards are selling like Gangbusters here.”
~ Mike Calloway, Manager, Old Globe Theatre of San Diego

Choose between these three great versions of a unique product:

Volume One: Quotes from the Plays

You will find a different quote from Shakespeare on each card. Every one of Shakespeare's 38 plays is quoted at least once. The quote on each number card contains a reference to that number in the quote, such as “Five have I slain to-day in stead of him. A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!” on the five of spades, from Richard III.

The quotes on each of the four suits of the deck represent a different dramatic temperament:
Hearts are love or sexual pleasure.
Clubs denote war or violence, actual or conspiring.
Diamonds are gain, position, money or treasure.
Spades are intrigue, skullduggery or a bad moon arising.

The Kings are kings, the queens are queens, and aces display figures who know or seem to control the action of the play.

Standard 2-1/4" x 3-7/16" plasticized playing cards, 56 per box (4 suits of 13 each, 2 jokers plus 2 "dummy" jokers). Published by Prospero Art. November 2006,
UPC 1-12750712581-01022

Price: $7.95 per deck

Volume Two: Shakespeare's Insults

You will find a hilarious or cutting insult from the Bard on every card. The insults also come from the plays, but might come in handy in a cutthroat poker, hearts or bridge game. To hear some samples, click on the audio clip of an actor reading some of the insults. He really makes them come to life!

Listen to some of the insults read by actor and director Michael Paul Thomsett

Standard 2-1/4" x 3-7/16" plasticized playing cards, 56 per box (4 suits of 13 each, 2 jokers plus 2 "dummy" jokers). Published by Prospero Art. November 2006,
UPC 1-12750712581-01023

Price: $7.95 per deck

The Shakespeare Bridge Set

Get both the decks and save a dollar. A wonderful gift for your literate, Shakespeare-loving friends!

Includes two decks of standard 2-1/4" x 3-7/16" plasticized playing cards, 56 per box (4 suits of 13 each, 2 jokers plus 2 "dummy" jokers). Published by Prospero Art. November 2006,
UPC 1-12750712581-01024

Price: $14.95 per set

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