--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do profess to be no less than I seem…" description: "\"I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust: to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg" --- # I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly… ![“I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust: to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise, and says little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg) > “I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust: to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise, and says little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish.” [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. A speaker pledges honesty, humility, and courage while acknowledging personal limits and fear of judgment **In simple terms:** Commit to truth, humility, and bravery despite doubts Key Takeaway Embrace integrity and courage Themes honesty humility courage fear self‑awareness Mood thoughtful reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal relationships - leadership - self‑reflection Key Concepts ethical integrity personal limits social trust Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with fear of judgment? - When should humility yield to decisive action? A Different Perspective May be overly formal and obscure for modern readers ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [Fall in love with yourself, because that's the only one you can truly trust with your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livefree2dream44/fall-in-love-with-yourself-because-that-s-the-only-one-you-can-truly/) Livefree2dream44 > [If we truly trust no one, we cannot survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/if-we-truly-trust-no-one-we-cannot-survive/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [If you truly trust someone,let them go and do as they please,eventually they end up hanging themselves,nothing like I knew that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica/if-you-truly-trust-someone-let-them-go-and-do-as-they-please/) [Veronica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica/) > [Our love is a secret. It wasn't meant to be told to anyone, unless we truly trust them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuts-and-scars/our-love-is-a-secret-it-wasn-t-meant-to-be-told-to-anyone-unless-we/) Cuts And Scars > [The only people I truly trust are my family and a very close group of my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/the-only-people-i-truly-trust-are-my-family-and-a-very-close-group-of/) [Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/) > [To truly trust someone means that you are willing to put it all on the line and step out on even the smallest limb.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddins/to-truly-trust-someone-means-that-you-are-willing-to-put-it-all-on/) [David Eddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddins/) > [We realized that the only persons we can truly trust in this world is each other and our families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/we-realized-that-the-only-persons-we-can-truly-trust-in-this-world-is/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [The only man a girl can truly trust is her Daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-man-a-girl-can-truly-trust-is-her-daddy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The only heart you can truly trust is your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-winter/the-only-heart-you-can-truly-trust-is-your-own/) [Vanessa Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-winter/) > [WHEN I truly trust PEOPLE A NEW ONE CAME INSIDE ME … IT WAS THE FEAR …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iquote/when-i-truly-trust-people-a-new-one-came-inside-me-it-was-the-fear/) [Iquote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iquote/) > [What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fishlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-have-we-here-a-man-or-a-fish-dead-or-alive-a-fish-he-smells-like/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Fishes live in the sea, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/fishes-live-in-the-sea-as-men-do-a-land-the-great-ones-eat-up-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [ HAMLET \[...\] we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/hamlet-we-fat-all-creatures-else-to-fat-us-and-we-fat-ourselves-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > ['Sblood, you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat's tongue, you bull's pizzle, you stock-fish! O for breath to utter what is like thee! you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sblood-you-starveling-you-elf-skin-you-dried-neat-s-tongue-you-bull-s/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love's mind of judgment rarely hath a taste: Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-s-mind-of-judgment-rarely-hath-a-taste-wings-and-no-eyes-figure/) [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 Fighting quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [“I bet she thought she was getting into a fight with a vanilla wafer on roller skates but little did she know she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/i-bet-she-thought-she-was-getting-into-a-fight-with-a-vanilla-wafer/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [You have to fight gravity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-wine/you-have-to-fight-gravity/) [Sherwin Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-wine/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [Well, He had known what love was-a sharp pang, a fierce experience, in the midst of whose flames he was struggling! but, through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/well-he-had-known-what-love-was-a-sharp-pang-a-fierce-experience-in/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [It is sort of interesting that in our society this days we are very quick to apply the term 'war' to places where thare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/it-is-sort-of-interesting-that-in-our-society-this-days-we-are-very/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [There comes a time when you're losing a fight that it just doesn't make sense to keep on fighting. It's not that you're being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/there-comes-a-time-when-you-re-losing-a-fight-that-it-just-doesn-t/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) Browse all 13,685 Fighting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust: to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise, and says little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-to-serve-him-truly-that-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fighting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-to-serve-him-truly-that-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/william-shakespeare-4_fighting_i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-t_960532.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust: to love him that is…” — 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": "I do profess to be no...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-to-serve-him-truly-that-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-profess-to-be-no-less-than-i-seem-to-serve-him-truly-that-will/#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 } } ] } ```