midnight
But when he found that Dr. Wycherley , had he lived in Denmark at the time , would have conferred cannily with Hamlet 's uncle , removed that worthy relative 's disbelief in Hamlet 's insanity , and signed the young gentleman away behind his back into a lunatic asylum , Alfred began to sympathise with this posthumous victim of Psychological Science . `` I believe the bloke was no madder than I am , '' said he . He got the play , studied it afresh , compared the fiction with the legend , compared Hamlet humbugging his enemies and their tool , Ophelia , with Hamlet opening his real mind to himself or his Horatio the very next moment ; contrasted the real madness the author has portrayed in the plays of Hamlet and Lear by the side of these extravagant imitations , to save , if possible , even dunces , and dreamers , and criticasters from being taken in by the latter ; and at their next seance pitched into the doctor 's pet chimera , and what with logic , fact , ridicule , and the author 's lines , knocked it to atoms . Now , in their midnight discussions , Dr. Wycherley had always handled the question of Alfred Hardie 's Sanity or Insanity with a philosophical coolness the young man admired , and found it hard to emulate ; but this philosophic calmness deserted him the moment Hamlet 's insanity was disputed , and the harder he was pressed the angrier , the louder , the more confused the Psychological physician became ; and presently he got furious , burst out of the anti-spasmodic or round-about style and called Alfred a d -- d ungrateful , insolent puppy , and went stamping about the room ; and , finally , to the young man 's horror , fell down in a fit of an epileptic character , grinding his teeth and foaming at the mouth . Alfred was filled with regret , and , though alarmed , had the presence of mind not to call for assistance . The fit was a very mild one in reality , though horrible to look at . The doctor came to , and asked feebly for wine .