

On the title-page, from the Folger Shakespeare Library.)

(AdditionalĬopy of a variant, with ‘Written by W. Scholarship suggests the publication date of 1622. Printed from the third quarto, but theįirst quarto was also used. The text is nearly half as long again as that Theįirst quarto was probably also used, perhaps to help interpret A ‘good’ quarto, probably printedįrom Shakespeare’s foul papers, described on the title-pageĪs ‘Newly corrected, augmented, and amended’. Name of Shakespeare’s company only until 16 March 1597. The text may have been one cut and adapted for performance. Reconstructed from memory by a group who knew the play on stage. Romeo and Juliet appeared in seven editions before 1642. That Romeo and Juliet was first acted by the Lordīurbage may have played Romeo, with the boy actor Robert There are no surviving recordsįor any performances before the Restoration in 1660, but it is likely Romeo and Juliet had certainly been performed by 1597, Romeo and Juliet relates most closely to a group of plays usually dated to the period 1594-1595, Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Richard II. The later date allows the necessary time for the compilation of the manuscript used to print the first ‘bad’ quarto in early 1597. The earliest date is considered to be too early, because of Shakespeare’s writing style in the play. Shakespeare must have written the play between 15. Romeo and Juliet can be plausibly dated to 1595.
