Some Very Different Posters

As I thought about what digital media would be most interesting to me, I immediately thought of posters. I've seen a lot of play and movie posters, but being involved in theatre makes playbill art and posters particularly interesting to compare. It's amazing how many different posters can be made for the same show, emphasizing different aspects.


This poster emphasizes the violence of the play. Shylock holds scales and a dagger. It also shows that it is a secretive thing, as the dagger is behind his back.
This is BYU's poster for Merchant. You can tell it's a children's show. The characters are cartoonish, and it looks more like a silly argument with grumpy old men than a life-or-death situation.

This is a simple but striking poster. Like many posters, it show the focus many people have on one character--Shylock. He looks dark and brooding, and it gives the impression that this will not be one of the shows that shows Shylock in a more pitiable light.

It may be really strange that this is one of my favorites. The whole poster is black and white except for the coins and the blood. You wonder, are the coins cutting into the skin? Where is the blood coming from? The play also focuses a lot on blood; Antonio can't be killed because Shylock can't shed Christian blood. Race and blood play a central role.

In this Eastern production, the Christians and Jews are replaced with the Saracen and the Cathayan, which are the native Chinese and the Arab trader in China. One review I saw pointed out that this changes the view of Shylock, since the anti-Semitic parts win him some sympathy. It's easier to see him as a villian as the Arab trader.

This poster focuses more on the location of the play (Venice) than on the characters. This is interesting, because a lot of other productions like to de-emphasize the importance of the setting by changing it, and showing its universality.

This poster shows the scales as the largest part, focusing on the justice and law aspect of the play. The scene with the trial in it is probably the most famous and focused on scene of the play. Also within the word merchant are the signs for Christianity and Judaism, reminding us of the conflict between the two peoples.