the play was entered into the stationers' register on 11 august 1602 by william cotton and was published in quarto later the same year by bookseller william jones, for whom it was printed by richard read. the title page of q1 specifies that the play was acted by the lord chamberlain's men, and attributes the play to a "w. s." a second quarto (q2) was printed in 1613 by thomas snodham. the q2 title page repeats the data of q1, though the lord chamberlain's men are now the king's men (the name change having occurred in 1603).