William Congreve - Famous Lines

Famous Lines

Two of Congreve's turns of phrase from The Mourning Bride (1697) have become famous, albeit frequently in misquotation:

  • "Music has charms to soothe a savage breast," which is the first line of the play, spoken by Almeria in Act I, Scene 1. (The word "breast" is often misquoted as "beast", and "has" sometimes appears as "hath".)
  • "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned," spoken by Zara in Act III, Scene VIII. (This is usually paraphrased as "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned")

Congreve coined another famous phrase in Love for Love (1695):

  • "O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell."

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Famous quotes containing the words famous and/or lines:

    Satan, what ails you? Where’s the famous tongue?
    Thou onetime Prince of Conversationists?
    Robert Frost (1874–1963)

    When first my lines of heavenly joys made mention,
    Such was their luster, they did so excel,
    That I sought out quaint words and trim invention;
    My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell,
    Curling with metaphors a plain intention,
    Decking the sense as if it were to sell.
    George Herbert (1593–1633)