Dictionary

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned en · X

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /hɛl hæθ nəʊ ˈfjʊəɹi laɪk ə ˈwʊmən skɔːnd/ (UK)
• /hɛl hæθ noʊ ˈfjʊɹi laɪk ə ˈwʊmən skɔɹnd/ (US)

Etymology

First written as "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd." in the 1697 play The Mourning Bride (Act III Scene 2) by William Congreve. The modern form with 'hath' instead of 'has' is not Congreve's wording; the phrase is often falsely attributed to Shakespeare or the King James Bible.

Meanings

1. A woman who has been romantically rejected, betrayed, or otherwise deeply wronged will react with great anger or vindictiveness.
   • Rather than presenting Medea as the epitome of the "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...," this Medea shows her not so much as a woman bent upon revenge, but as someone who has been betrayed and must for her own sense of preservation must right the wrongs done to her. 1988 February 7, Michael Bronski, “"Medea," My Dear”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 29, page 11:

Forms