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11 Bravo

(23,926 posts)
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 02:42 PM Jul 2014

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Really? How often ...

do we read about a woman deciding she's been wronged by a spouse or SO and then proceeding to grab a gun and wipe out the perceived offender and everyone else in range?
Common sense, the ability to read a newspaper, and access to the internet would seem to indicate that a man scorned is more often to likely unleash Hell's fury.
Just my opinion.

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Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Really? How often ... (Original Post) 11 Bravo Jul 2014 OP
i think humans generally dont do well when scorned La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2014 #1
Fortunately most people when scorned, don't resort to violence. cali Jul 2014 #2
Yes. conservaphobe Jul 2014 #3
i think scorn makes most people vindictive. La Lioness Priyanka Jul 2014 #4
Yes, men are much more likely to do the deed and slaughter Warpy Jul 2014 #5
For some reason, that phrase does not offend me - it empowers me. Marie Marie Jul 2014 #6
That's why the expression needs to be retired. Gormy Cuss Jul 2014 #7
i agree bravo. hadnt thought much of the saying, and then that hit me. agreed. nt seabeyond Jul 2014 #8
The phrase turns up regularly on men's rights forums. Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #9
I feel a little better now...it was the point I was trying to make...awkwardly tho... CTyankee Jul 2014 #13
Gee imagine that. redqueen Jul 2014 #14
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned" rocktivity Jul 2014 #10
You summed it up well. redqueen Jul 2014 #11
+1 leftstreet Jul 2014 #12
Thank you for this. Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #16
really? we're going to start this again? 2pooped2pop Jul 2014 #15
I guess it was this or another Nader thread. (n/t) Jim Lane Jul 2014 #17
Lol Tetris_Iguana Jul 2014 #19
No better way to counter sexist language than hypocritical co-opting it! nt Bonobo Jul 2014 #18
 

La Lioness Priyanka

(53,866 posts)
1. i think humans generally dont do well when scorned
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 02:44 PM
Jul 2014

regardless of demographic details.

you can see it in interpersonal dealings (people handle social rejection really poorly) and global dealings.

however, this particularly saying comes from this belief of women as some sort of petty vengeful creature with no higher goals/aspirations.

Warpy

(111,249 posts)
5. Yes, men are much more likely to do the deed and slaughter
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 03:02 PM
Jul 2014

everybody in the vicinity, including their own kids. Especially their own kids, how best to destroy their mother?

The couplet also included "no rage like love to hatred turn'd." While his poem was about a jilted bride, it could have applied equally to any man whose female partner had just dumped him, only such things didn't happen much in Congreve's time. Women didn't initiate divorce proceedings, disease and childbirth killed them off before they got the chance.


Marie Marie

(9,999 posts)
6. For some reason, that phrase does not offend me - it empowers me.
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 03:14 PM
Jul 2014

But then I give the word "scorned" a very broad definition - like what the Republican men are doing to women and our rights. Then you are damned right - Hell hath no fury.. in other words, don't mess with us cause we will fight back - like Hell. JMHO.

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)
7. That's why the expression needs to be retired.
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 03:40 PM
Jul 2014

It may have made sense in the context of the times in which it was written but now, no. It's just reinforcing the uncontrolled, emotional bitch stereotype.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
9. The phrase turns up regularly on men's rights forums.
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 04:02 PM
Jul 2014

Last edited Wed Jul 16, 2014, 06:56 PM - Edit history (1)

It is used to "prove" that women will lie in divorce and custody proceedings in order to take revenge against their exes.

I spent the last couple of hours reading posts and articles using the phrase and the vast majority use it to back up the authors' claims that women are liars and more irrational and vindictive than men.

rocktivity

(44,576 posts)
10. "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned"
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 05:35 PM
Jul 2014

Last edited Sat Aug 29, 2020, 01:14 PM - Edit history (14)

is a line from a play by William Congreve (not William Shakespeare). First, Congreve draws a parallel between the inherent righteousness of heaven's outrage and the inherent inappropriateness of hell's. Then he goes a step further by assigning hell's fury exclusively to women!

There are, of course, women who have expressed their being scorned with guns and other forms of violence, but their numbers are dwarfed by the number of men who do the same. That's mainly because such behavior is not seen as "ladylike," as opposed to using poison, throwing acid, or revealing their partner's illegalities to the authorities. However, violence can work when the man's strength advantage is neutralized by his being asleep.

So it all comes down to gender-based stereotyping and social acceptability -- scorned men avenge ("'Vengeance is mine!', sayest the Lord"); scorned women sin. While a man's fury is wrong but "only human," a woman's is just a byproduct of her being a female canine.


rocktivity

redqueen

(115,103 posts)
11. You summed it up well.
Wed Jul 16, 2014, 05:55 PM
Jul 2014

I don't know how anyone finds this or such sayings/terms either empowering or complimentary.

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