The Mourning Bride



The Mourning Bride is a tragedy written by English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1697 at Betterton's Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. The play centers on Zara, a queen held captive by Manuel, King of Granada, and a web of love and deception which results in the mistaken murder of Manuel who is in disguise, and Zara's also mistaken suicide in response.

Quotations
There are two very widely known quotations in the play; from the opening to the play:
 * Musick has Charms to soothe a savage Breast,

The word "breast" is often misquoted as "beast" and "has" sometimes appears as "hath".

Also often repeated is a quotation of Zara in Act III, Scene II:


 *  Heav'n has no rage, like love to hatred turn'd,
 * Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd.

This is usually misquoted as "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

A similar line is found in Colley Cibber's play Love's Last Shift in 1696:


 * He shall find no Fiend in Hell can match the fury of a disappointed Woman!
 * - Scorned! slighted! dismissed without a parting Pang!