Romeo and Juliet was first published in a quarto edition in 1597. This first quarto, commonly called Q1, is a relatively short and sometimes corrupt version of the play, with wording and stage directions that differ from later texts.
A second quarto appeared in 1599 and is substantially longer and generally regarded as a more authoritative text. The 1623 First Folio later included Romeo and Juliet among Shakespeare’s plays. Modern editions compare these early witnesses when deciding how to present passages and reconstruct the play’s theatrical history.
The 1597 publication date is not necessarily the date Shakespeare wrote the play or the date of its first performance. Scholars commonly place composition around 1595, while the earliest performance date is uncertain. “Quarto” describes the format made by folding printed sheets into four leaves; it does not mean a separate story or adaptation. The first quarto is also sometimes nicknamed the “bad quarto,” though that label is debated.