To provide a general purpose display device capable of providing a display pattern of a character with desirable unusalty and latitude of design expression and also being made easy in maintenance and thin in thickness.

This device is provided with at least a light source 12, a rotary polarizing plate 13 covering a light scatter plate 14 by a smoke polarizing sheet 15 and arranged oppositely at the front side of the light source 12, a first surface plate 23 provided with a polarizing part 25 on one side surface part of a transparent plate member 24 and arranged oppositely to the rotary polarizing plate 13 and a second surface plate 27 provided with the polarizing part 29 changing an axial direction of a light absorption axis by 90° from the polarizing part 25 on one side surface part of the transparent plate member 28 and arranged oppositely at the polarizing part 25. The polarizing part 25 is imparted with a proper colored character shape, and the polarizing part 29 is imparted with the colored character shape not similar to the colored character shape of the polarizing part 25. Thus the light emitted from the light source 12 is allowed to arrive at a display surface 30 through the rotating rotary polarizing plate 13, the first surface plate 23 and the second surface plate 27, thereby displaying the colored character shape changing with lapse of time freely.