Shakespeare Playing Cards

A beautiful set of playing cards featuring illustrations of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.

Play your favourite card games with Romeo and Juliet as King and Queen of Hearts, Lady Macbeth as Ace Villain, and let Adam Simpson’s artwork bring Shakespeare’s plays to life.

Arranged in four suits – with hearts = lovers, clubs = fools, diamonds = heroes and heroines, and spades = villains, plus two jokers, of course – this artist-illustrated deck of playing cards features 54 of Shakespeare’s most famous characters. It includes a booklet with text about each character and their place in literary history.

Adam Simpson has exhibited around the world, been shortlisted for a British Design Award, and clients include BAFTA, Conran, and the London Olympics.

Text and research by Leander Deeny, an actor best known for his work in Captain America and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His first book, Hazel's Phantasmagoria, is published by Quercus.

Published in July 2020.