The Shakespeare Stealer

“The name I carried with me throughout my youth was attached to me, more less accidentally, by Mistress MacGregor of the orphanage.”

Naming and names are one of the aspects of identity that the text explores. This line, narrated by Widge, describes the origin of his name. In this case, Widge is assigned a name that ties him to his tragic past. Once Widge breaks free from where he came from, he chooses a new name for himself.

“I was so ill-equipped to set out into that world alone. I could read. I could read and write, but I knew none of the skills needed to survive in the unfamiliar, perhaps hostile lands that lay beyond the fields and folds of our little parish.”

Part of Widge’s arc as a character is his transformation from a naïve, friendless, country boy to a capable, social Londoner. This quote demonstrates why, even when offered opportunities for escape, Widge does not abandon his masters. It also illustrates Widge’s psychological state when he first joins the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. He is scared and out of place, which is why community becomes important to him as the book progresses.

“Mr. Shakespeare deserves better; he is a poet of quality, perhaps of genius, and if his work is to be appropriated, it ought to be done well.”

This quote, spoken by Simon Bass to Widge, demonstrates the complex notions of ethics and honor that the characters have. Although Simon Bass realizes that his plan to steal Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet is wrong, he has convinced himself that it is still somewhat honorable if his troupe performs the work. In other words, Bass is trying to justify his actions to both Widge and himself.