--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of all base passions, fear is the most…" description: "\"Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg" --- # Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed. ![“Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg) > “Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.” [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. Fear is a destructive passion that corrupts judgment and leads to ruin. **In simple terms:** Fear corrupts and harms. Key Takeaway Recognize and master fear. Themes fear corruption human nature ethics Mood anxious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - leadership decisions - personal relationships - political intrigue - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology morality power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does fear influence your choices? - When can fear be beneficial? A Different Perspective Fear can also motivate caution and protect from danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base/) [Base Passions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base-passions-630143/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Accursed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-accursed-3616250/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Passions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passions/) [Passions Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passions-fear-249178/) ## Related quotes > [“Of all base passions fear is most accurs'd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakespeare/of-all-base-passions-fear-is-most-accurs-d/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakespeare/) > [Of all the passions, fear weakens judgment most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/of-all-the-passions-fear-weakens-judgment-most/) [Jean Francois Paul de Gondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/) > [The most degrading of human passions is the fear of death. It tears away the restraints and the conventions which alone make social life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-bell/the-most-degrading-of-human-passions-is-the-fear-of-death-it-tears/) [Gertrude Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-bell/) > [From the passions arise worry, and from worry arises fear. Away with the passions, and no fear, no worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/from-the-passions-arise-worry-and-from-worry-arises-fear-away-with/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“It was an odd thing Tam had taught him. Concentrate on a single flame and feed all your passions into it—fear, hate, anger—until your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/it-was-an-odd-thing-tam-had-taught-him-concentrate-on-a-single-flame/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Small things make base men proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/small-things-make-base-men-proud/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Base is the slave that pays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/base-is-the-slave-that-pays/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love; we cannot call her winds and waters, sighs and tears; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/her-passions-are-made-of-nothing-but-the-finest-part-of-pure-love-we/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Vexed I am Of late with passions of some difference, Conceptions only proper to myself, Which gives some soil, perhaps, to my behaviors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/vexed-i-am-of-late-with-passions-of-some-difference-conceptions-only/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/her-passions-are-made-of-nothing-but-the-finest-part-of-pure-love/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The life of a good man was a continual warfare with his passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/the-life-of-a-good-man-was-a-continual-warfare-with-his-passions/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [In tragic life, God wot, No villain need be! Passions spin the plot: We are betrayed by what is false within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meredith/in-tragic-life-god-wot-no-villain-need-be-passions-spin-the-plot-we/) [George Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meredith/) > [In music the passions enjoy themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-music-the-passions-enjoy-themselves/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“When we are passionate about God, we can trust our passions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-raphael-mcmanus/when-we-are-passionate-about-god-we-can-trust-our-passions/) [Erwin Raphael McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-raphael-mcmanus/) > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) ## 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 Base quotes > [Companies are bought for their revenue, customer base, technology, or people. A few great companies offer all of these, but any valuable business offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/companies-are-bought-for-their-revenue-customer-base-technology-or/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [My fan base is really expanding into an inter-generational thing - it's what every artist probably hopes for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/my-fan-base-is-really-expanding-into-an-inter-generational-thing-it-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [I can't inject renewables into a grid that doesn't have base load.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piyush-goyal/i-can-t-inject-renewables-into-a-grid-that-doesn-t-have-base-load/) [Piyush Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piyush-goyal/) > [A lot of times, my work is looked at very much on the surface. It's very easy to just want to put something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/a-lot-of-times-my-work-is-looked-at-very-much-on-the-surface-it-s/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [I have found that my fan base is a bit above average when compared to the common horror fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-have-found-that-my-fan-base-is-a-bit-above-average-when-compared-to/) [Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/) > [You're not going to get every part, so you can't base your sense of self-worth around whether or not you actually land the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-reeser/you-re-not-going-to-get-every-part-so-you-can-t-base-your-sense-of/) [Autumn Reeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-reeser/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [You don't have to be a Christian to work at Chick-fil-A, but we ask you to base your business on biblical principles because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-christian-to-work-at-chick-fil-a-but-we-ask/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [By delivering a wide array of programming to YouTube, the NBA will be able to connect with its existing worldwide fan base and reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/by-delivering-a-wide-array-of-programming-to-youtube-the-nba-will-be/) [Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/) > [To touch the limitless sky, one has to be in constant touch with the base, which is in fact the origin of every human…….](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/to-touch-the-limitless-sky-one-has-to-be-in-constant-touch-with-the/) [Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/) > [I'm a Jewel when I'm with U…else am a stone by the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/i-m-a-jewel-when-i-m-with-u-else-am-a-stone-by-the-road/) [Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/) > [Serious biographies need to have a historical base in facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/serious-biographies-need-to-have-a-historical-base-in-facts/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [We try to buy as much American-made shirts as we can and stuff to sell. It's very difficult to cover every base as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/we-try-to-buy-as-much-american-made-shirts-as-we-can-and-stuff-to/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [An American champion, obviously being here in the states, is something that we all look at with the U.S. Open. But golf is played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-creamer/an-american-champion-obviously-being-here-in-the-states-is-something/) [Paula Creamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-creamer/) > [I learned early in my writing career that if I try to tailor a song for someone else, I'm usually off base. They're usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-russell/i-learned-early-in-my-writing-career-that-if-i-try-to-tailor-a-song/) [Brenda Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-russell/) [Browse all 382 Base quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-accursed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Base" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-accursed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/william-shakespeare-4_desire_of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-ac_1203033.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.” — 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": "Of all base passions, fear is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-accursed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/of-all-base-passions-fear-is-the-most-accursed/#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 } } ] } ```