The Shakespeare Stealer

by Gary Blackwood

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What inner conflict does Widge face in The Shakespeare Stealer, and how does it result in his personal growth?

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Widge faces an inner conflict between loyalty to his new friends in a theater troupe and his mission to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet. Initially tasked with theft, Widge discovers a sense of belonging and love among the actors, which conflicts with his assignment. This dilemma forces him to choose between his criminal task and newfound loyalty, leading to personal growth as he decides to defy his master, embrace honesty, and pursue a life as an actor.

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Gary Blackwood's novel The Shakespeare Stealer is set in the 1590s. It follows the life of a fourteen-year-old raised in a Yorkshire orphanage. Widge's master pulls him into a plan to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet before it gets printed. As Widge is not a thief by profession, he soon gets caught. To save himself, Widge pretends to be a star-struck fan who wants to be a part of the troupe's shows. The kind-hearted actors decide to accept him.

In his new world, Widge makes new friends and mentors. As his friendships deepen and the lure of the stage becomes powerful, his priorities change. He loses interest in his mission to steal the play. He finds his true calling as a stage actor. He understands the importance of loyalty, honor, and commitment. He fulfills his lifelong desire: to belong to a family.

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The inner conflict that Widge expressed is best identified through...

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the way in which he finally begins to find a home among the company, a place where he is valued and loved, and a skill that he is good at, whilst all the time he is meant to be planning a robbery that would devastate his new friends. Note how Widge expresses this inner conflict:

For the second time that day, I had been made to feel that I was among people who cared about me and my welfare. My guilt at the thought of betraying him [Mr. Heminges] and the rest of the company came back, stronger than ever.

Widge is forced more and more to weigh up his precarious position. On the one hand, he faces Falconer and the violence that he represents if he does not steal the copy of the play. On the other hand, Widge has finally found something that he has never experienced: a home with friends that love him. Widge is therefore forced to mature through the way in which he has to make a choice between these two extremes, and his choice to defy Falconer and reveal all to the players reveals how he has matured as a character.

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