OP says he wants pulsating DC. your square wave seems to fit the bill.
he failed to mention what his previous project was. so to a large degree we are not sure the real need.
as a side note, there are a few quys on here that try to persuade people that mains voltage should be avoided at any and all possible cost. even using a relay ! not sure how one would do a reflow toaster oven without using mains......
but, there are some pot holes along the way. a garden variety 1/4 watt carbon film is not uniformly manufactured for 230 mains. I guess not everyone is trying to measure their tesla coil voltage.......
is this what you mean by "You could bung this up with resistors till Kingdom Come and still be undone."