How will Widge's experience with "charactery" help Simon Bass in The Shakespeare Stealer?

Charactery is a kind of short-hand writing. When Simon Bass discovers that Widge is very good at it, he immediately sets him to work, telling him to go to the Globe Theatre and write down Shakespeare's Hamlet word for word. Widge does as he is bid and writes down the play's dialogue in a kind of code that he will be able to transcribe into English later.
However, the task proves to be easier said than done. Widge has his pocket book stolen, the book with all the dialogue from Hamlet written in it. At his wits's end and scared stiff of what the intimidating Simon Bass might do to him, Widge feels he has no choice but to go back to the Globe and steal the original play book.