When did Shakespeare write the play "Romeo and Juliet"?

It is believed that Romeo and Juliet
was written around 1594, although there remains considerable variance of opinion as to
its specific date. Historians generally believe it was written some time before 1597
because a crude first quarto of the text is available from this date. However, as
Shakespeare has taken an existing story, popularly catalogued by Arthur Brooke in 1562
and by William Painter in 1582, precise dating of the play is
difficult.

There are many earlier inceptions of a similar
plot involving warring families and tragic lovers, with references dating back as early
as the fifteenth century. In 1476 a story was written by  Masuccio Salernitano about the
lovers Mariotto and Gianozza. Salernitano's work is believed to have many parallels to
Shakespeare’s later play.