--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He that hath a beard is more than a…" description: "\"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is les..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg" --- # He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that… ![“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg) > “He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage uses age and beard as metaphors for maturity, suggesting incompatibility between differing life stages. **In simple terms:** Age symbols indicate mismatched maturity. Key Takeaway Seek partners whose life stages align. Themes relationships age compatibility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - dating - friendship - family planning Key Concepts symbolism social hierarchy identity Questions to Reflect On - Do appearances truly indicate maturity? - How can we look beyond superficial markers? A Different Perspective Physical symbols may not reflect true character. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard/) [Beard Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard-man-2884255/) [Beard Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard-youth-2884253/) [Hath Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hath-beard-2884254/) [Man Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-youth-1545252/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [A beard on a man is only a way of hiding something, his face of course, but also the inner matters, like a hedge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/a-beard-on-a-man-is-only-a-way-of-hiding-something-his-face-of-course/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [Childhood sometimes does pay a second visit to man; youth never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/childhood-sometimes-does-pay-a-second-visit-to-man-youth-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The three ages of man: youth, middle age and 'my word you do look well'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-whitfield/the-three-ages-of-man-youth-middle-age-and-my-word-you-do-look-well/) [June Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-whitfield/) > [You've heard of the three ages of man - youth, age, and you are looking wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ve-heard-of-the-three-ages-of-man-youth-age-and-you-are-looking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An old man with something of the youth in him, may feel young in mind and heart only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/an-old-man-with-something-of-the-youth-in-him-may-feel-young-in-mind/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“Imprimis: I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/imprimis-i-am-a-man-who-from-his-youth-upwards-has-been-filled-with-a/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“Man’s own youth is the world’s youth; at least, he feels as if it were, and imagines that the earth’s granite substance is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/man-s-own-youth-is-the-world-s-youth-at-least-he-feels-as-if-it-were-2/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Man's own youth is the world's youth; at least he feels as if it were, and imagines that the earth's granite substance is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/man-s-own-youth-is-the-world-s-youth-at-least-he-feels-as-if-it-were/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Long time a child, and still a child, when years Had painted manhood on my cheek, was I; For yet I lived like one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hartley-coleridge/long-time-a-child-and-still-a-child-when-years-had-painted-manhood-on/) [Hartley Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hartley-coleridge/) > [To many a man, and sometimes to a youth, there comes the opportunity to choose between honorable competence and tainted wealth. The young man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/to-many-a-man-and-sometimes-to-a-youth-there-comes-the-opportunity-to/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Slanders, sir, for the satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging think amber…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/slanders-sir-for-the-satirical-rogue-says-here-that-old-men-have-grey/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not a moist eye, a dry hand, a yellow cheek, a white beard, a decreasing leg, an increasing belly? Is not your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-a-moist-eye-a-dry-hand-a-yellow-cheek-a-white-beard-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face! I had rather lie in the woolen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/lord-i-could-not-endure-a-husband-with-a-beard-on-his-face-i-had/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, he's mine or I am his.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-e-er-again-i-meet-him-beard-to-beard-he-s-mine-or-i-am-his/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Nay! Faith, let me not play a woman! I have a beard coming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/nay-faith-let-me-not-play-a-woman-i-have-a-beard-coming/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Beard quotes > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Nay! Faith, let me not play a woman! I have a beard coming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/nay-faith-let-me-not-play-a-woman-i-have-a-beard-coming/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born with a beard. We're quite hairy down in Latin America. We don't have to use sponges when we wash dishes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-was-born-with-a-beard-we-re-quite-hairy-down-in-latin-america-we/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [“beard framing a face that had started to show his age, weathered and lined from years”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allibone/beard-framing-a-face-that-had-started-to-show-his-age-weathered-and/) [Richard Allibone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allibone/) > [If I can play, and change the mind of one person about being a Muslim player and having a beard, then I'll feel as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moeen-ali/if-i-can-play-and-change-the-mind-of-one-person-about-being-a-muslim/) [Moeen Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moeen-ali/) > [“Pride is like a beard. It is just keeps growing; the solution?- Shave it every day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ong/pride-is-like-a-beard-it-is-just-keeps-growing-the-solution-shave-it/) [George Ong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ong/) > [“I have no idea why this is. I’m sure somebody with a beard and too much time on their hands would say it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-spalding/i-have-no-idea-why-this-is-i-m-sure-somebody-with-a-beard-and-too/) [Nick Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-spalding/) > [They were bullyin' him, Hermione, 'cause he's so small!" said Hagrid. "Small?" said Hermione. "Small?" "Hermione, I couldn't leave him," said Hagrid, tears now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-were-bullyin-him-hermione-cause-he-s-so-small-said-hagrid-small/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Allow me," said the elf, proffering Gimlet's beard to Frito, who was now sneezing uncontrollably.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-harvard-lampoon/allow-me-said-the-elf-proffering-gimlet-s-beard-to-frito-who-was-now/) [The Harvard Lampoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-harvard-lampoon/) > [Never insult a mans beard, you either get thunder or lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/never-insult-a-mans-beard-you-either-get-thunder-or-lightning/) [Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/) > [If we didn't live venturously, plucking the wild goat by the beard, and trembling over precipices, we should never be depressed, I've no doubt;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/if-we-didn-t-live-venturously-plucking-the-wild-goat-by-the-beard-and/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [If I had to choose between the two ways of approaching the deity, I should prefer the existential relational way, to the abstract philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-cross/if-i-had-to-choose-between-the-two-ways-of-approaching-the-deity-i/) [Frank Moore Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-cross/) > [“Shave that Moses beard and you might have better luck. Women don’t want to kiss carpet, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/shave-that-moses-beard-and-you-might-have-better-luck-women-don-t/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) [Browse all 588 Beard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-youth-and-he-that-hath-no-beard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-youth-and-he-that-hath-no-beard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/william-shakespeare-4_beard_he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-yout_1099497.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more…” — William Shakespeare", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He that hath a beard is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-youth-and-he-that-hath-no-beard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-hath-a-beard-is-more-than-a-youth-and-he-that-hath-no-beard/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```