 Nevertheless , in October 2014 , Lois Leveen speculated in The Atlantic that the original Shakespeare play did not contain a balcony . The word , <unk> , did not exist in the English language until two years after Shakespeare 's death . The balcony was certainly used in Thomas Otway 's 1679 play , The History and Fall of Caius Marius , which had borrowed much of its story from Romeo and Juliet and placed the two lovers in a balcony reciting a speech similar to that between Romeo and Juliet . Leveen suggested that during the 18th century , David Garrick chose to use a balcony in his adaptation and revival of Romeo and Juliet and modern adaptations have continued this tradition . 
