{"id":1502,"date":"2022-02-09T04:18:16","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T04:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=1502"},"modified":"2022-02-09T04:18:16","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T04:18:16","slug":"hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Hell Hath No Fury like a Woman Scorned - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did someone just tell you that \u201chell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>?\u201d What does that mean? Are they telling you that your ex is a demon or something?<\/p>\n

This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and use of this expression in modern language.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The phrase \u201chell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>\u201d changed its meaning over the years. It initially referred to mocking a woman<\/em>; however, it changed its meaning into betrayal<\/em> a few hundred years ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For instance, if a man were to leave his partner for another woman, the betrayal would spark anger in his previous lover<\/em>, and he could expect a backlash from his actions.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cMike arrived home late last night, and his wife read him the riot act. You know what they say; hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead; you try telling her that. I\u2019ll sit back and watch her tear you apart. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told my wife I was leaving her, and the next day I got a letter from her attorney demanding half of my estate. I guess hell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you want to go ahead with that? I\u2019m telling you it\u2019s a bad idea, and she\u2019s going to be super upset. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

\u201cHell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>\u201d originates from the William Congreve play, \u201cThe Mourning Bride<\/em>,\u201d published in 1697. A line in the play reads as follows.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many people think that the phrase comes from the works of William Shakespeare, but Congreve was the first to use it.<\/p>\n

Two centuries after Congreve penned the term; the Irish writer Oscar Wilde would write, \u201chell hath no fury like a woman scorned<\/em>,\u201d breathing new life into the idiomatic phrase, spreading its use around the western world.<\/p>\n