ZARA
Vile and ingrate! too late thou shalt repent
The base injustice thou hast done my love.
Yes, thou shalt know, spite of thy past Distress,
And all those ills which thou so long hast mourn'd;
Heav'n has no Rage like Love to hatred turn'd,
Nor Hell a Fury like a Woman scorn'd.

These famous lines from Congreve's "The Mourning Bride" epitomize the volatile nature of love and betrayal. Zara, a character caught in a web of romantic and political intrigues, expresses a deep-seated anger toward her love interest, Osmyn, who has wronged her. Here, the transformation of love into hatred is depicted as a force more fearsome than divine wrath or infernal fury. Congreve uses this powerful imagery to underscore the intensity of emotions that accompany romantic betrayal. The phrase "a woman scorned" has since entered the lexicon as a proverbial warning of the lengths to which someone might go when their love is spurned. This passage highlights the thematic exploration of love, deception, and revenge that characterizes much of Restoration drama, reflecting the era's fascination with complex emotional states and the extremities of human behavior.