The Shakespeare Stealer – Blackbird and Company

Widge expected a royal and loving family but was adopted by a cold and unloving doctor. pg. 5
Widge discovers that Dr. Bright’s sermons were sometimes copied. pg. 6
Widge says that there were orphans who were unsound of body and mind who were still at the orphanage or who had died there. pg. 15
Widge doesn’t confront the stable boy because he knows that he is the new boy, and new boys don’t have any rights. pg. 27
Widge is surprised because his new master has a very mild appearance. pg. 29
Widge is incredulous when he finds out London has a curfew because London is a symbol of freedom. pg. 38
Widge needs to change his clothing in order to appear more like a Londoner and less like a country dweller. pg. 39
Widge passes the time waiting for Hamlet to be performed by watching the traffic on the street. pg. 41
The house Widge sees has a cross nailed to the door because it is a plague house. pg. 42
Falconer responds to Widge by saying he was only protecting his master’s investment. pg. 45
The words, totus mundus agit histrionem, were inscribed under Atlas’ feet, which translates to, “all the world’s a stage.” pg. 47
Widge’s most pressing problem while copying the play is assigning names to each player. pg. 49
Many people considered the world of theatre to be immoral, so women were forbidden to act on stage. pg. 49
Widge became so enthralled in the play that he only cared about whether Hamlet avenged his father’s death. pg. 50

The thought of having to fend for himself in London, and the reward he was promised both made Widge reconsider running away. pg. 52
Falconer knocks the gravedigger from the play into the drainage ditch. pg. 54
Widge’s favorite parts of the play are the fencing fights. pg. 55
Falconer and Widge lose their lodgings because Falconer killed one of the other lodgers in a duel. pg. 58
Widge escapes from the playhouse when his chasers have to leave to put out a fire. pg. 62-63
The fire at the theater is extinguished when the sky opens up and rains on it. pg. 64
Widge is recognized when he runs into the second gravedigger from the play. pg. 67
Widge says that he came to London to become a player. pg. 70
The cannoneer and the boy named Nick were the only two members of the company opposed to taking Widge on. pg. 72
Sander doesn’t mind Widge joining his room because he says it will give him someone to talk to and study his lines with. pg. 75
Mr. Shakespeare had apprenticed as a glover. pg. 77
Mr. Shakespeare plays the ghost of Hamlet’s father in the play. pg. 80
Nick says that “widge” means “horse” where he comes from. pg. 86
Mr. Shakespeare tells Sander to instruct Widge in laughing. pg. 106

Widge is irritated at having to help Sander because he has to set down his playbook. pg. 108
The sleeves are not sewn onto the costumes so that they can be reused in other plays. pg. 109
Sander thinks Nick is in no shape to be a part fo the play because he has a bit of a beard and his breath smells like beer. pg. 111
Jack takes the play book from Widge because he doesn’t trust him. pg. 113
Mr. Heminges suggests that he and Mr. Shakespeare trade jobs as he is going on stage. pg. 115
Chriss Beeston thinks Will Kempe left the company to sell Mr. Shakespeare’s plays to other companies. pg. 117
Widge’s training at the theatre company is different from that of his past in that he is treated as if he has some intellect. pg. 120
Widge and Julian find that both of their mothers died young, and that their fathers were both criminals. pg. 129
Widge believes he got all his lines out correctly, but can’t remember for sure. pg. 131
Mr. Heminges wants to see Widge in the property room to discuss the trouble he had with Thomas. pg. 141
The company got on the Queen’s bad side when they performed a play that showed a deposition of a ruler. pg. 156
Julian’s Identity is discovered when her shirt is torn, revealing a cloth wound around her chest. pg. 159

Nick is angry because he didn’t know he was fencing with a girl for such a long time. pg. 161
Nick fights the student when he jokes about Nick dueling with a girl. pg. 165
The two students run after the tavern owner threatened to call for the constable. pg. 170
The authorities felt that Nick had suffered enough, and took him to a hospital instead of prison. pg. 170
Nick is offered the part of Ophelia because Sanders has to focus on Nick’s part, and Sam and James were not old or experienced enough. pg. 174
Widge is shocked when he arrives at Whitehall because there is no stage. pg. 179
Widge manages to survive because he says that he becomes Ophelia through some miraculous process. pg. 180
Widge is transformed through playing Ophelia in that it makes actually want to be a player. pg. 188
Widge discovers nick stealing a playbook from the Globe. pg. 191
Nick escapes being caught by tipping Widge’s boat, launching him into the water. pg. 196-197
The beggar doesn’t want to be seen with Widge and Mr. Armin because nobody gives money to beggars with well-dressed friends. pg. 200-201
Widge fears what will become of him if Falconer wins the duel. pg. 205
Simon Bass and Mr. Armin know eachother because they were both members of the Chamberlain’s men. pg. 209
Julia goes to France because women are allowed to act on stage there. pg. 213