The piece is part of a series of tragic love stories dating back to antiquity. Its plot is based on an Italian tale translated into English and verse by Arthur Brooke in 1562 under the title The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet. In 1582, William Painter (en) offers a version in prose in Palace of Pleasure. Shakespeare borrows from both, but deepens the plot by developing the supporting characters, particularly Mercutio and Count Paris (en). Probably written between 1591 and 1595, the piece is published for the first time in quarto in 1597. This text, of poor quality, has been corrected in later editions, closer to the original Shakespeare.
