Controversial and sexually charged, The Taming of the Shrew is possibly Shakespeare’s first play, and certainly among the most performed. Is it a mere saga of brute male domination or a passionate love story with a powerful moral punch? To read this play is to gain unique insight into a portrait of a marriage created by a true master. Illustrated throughout by Sir John Gilbert (1817–1897), famous for his depictions of historical scenes. As well as Shakespeare, he illustrated works of Sir Walter Scott, Cervantes, Wilkie Collins and Wordsworth.