Edward DeVere via his pseudonym William Shakespeare penned poignant words when it came time for his main character Hamlet to act. He had to approach his mother because he had to confront her with the theory of the affair he thought she was having.
'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood
And do such bitter business as the bitter day
Would quake to look on..
I love that phrase, "'Tis the very witching time of night." It has several meanings and was probably meant to be a pun like so many other of his lines. The witching hour was the hour of midnight. In times gone by that would have been about 4 to 5 hours after dark. People were asleep at that time of night. No one would see him stealing away to confront his mother. Also, a witching time was in modern vernacular a bewitching time. So, he was referring to his mother being bewitched into having an affair, but he had to find out. Hamlet was so mad that he could drink hot blood, like vampires who want their subjects to suffer but live with them forever. Hamlet didn't really want to kill his mother, only to return the hurt that her actions had made him feel.
The witching hour does strange things to people. I get there more often than I need to get there. It drives me to want to do bitter business. But, it's contagion from a terrible place, so I refrain. Life goes on. Hamlet paid for his rashness with his life. I won't make that mistake. But every night has a witching time of night.
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