What does Macbeth mean by "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill" in Act 3, Scene 2?
This quote is actually the final line of a speech in which Macbeth delivers something of his own incantation, similar to Lady Macbeth 's speech in Act One, scene five ("Come you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts...). He calls not on spirits, but the night itself to use its "bloody...
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and invisible hand" to assist the "deed of dreadful note," which is the murder ofBanquo and Fleance.
The fact that he is not just being metaphoric, but actually summoning evil is supported by line 53:
Whiles night's black agents to their preys do rouse.
He concludes with the quote you have given, a statement which insinuates that now that he has summoned the "black agents" of night, that they will take matters into their own hands, and the outcome, whatever chaos this might involve, is up the actions of these forces. And thus the deeds themselves which are "bad," add unto themselves, without further aid from Macbeth.
What does Macbeth mean by "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill" in Act 3, Scene 2?
Simplistically, the following quote from Macbeth refers to the fact that things which are begun wrongly continue to be wrong if one continues to bring negative things to the table.
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill
Macbeth knows that nothing good can come from actions done wrongly. Macbeth has gained the crown through the murder of Duncan. It is through this murder that Macbeth was able to gain the crown. The actions that Macbeth takes to keep the crown are all negative as well, attempted murder of others and lying to those around him.
This can be explained in simpler terms. Think about the telling of a lie. This one lie, if kept, requires many more lies to keep the truth from being exposed. The telling of more lies constitutes "make strong themselves by ill." The first lie is defined by "Things bad begun."
Therefore, Macbeth is simply saying that the continuance of immoral behaviors makes the initial behavior worse. If Macbeth would have simply told the truth about his first sin (the murder) he would not have gone mad and lost his life.
What does the quote "Things bad Begun make strong themselves by ill" from Macbeth (3.2.55) mean?
Macbeth: Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;And with thy bloody and invisible handCancel and tear to pieces that great bondWhich keeps me pale! Light thickens; and the crowMakes wing to the rooky wood:Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;While night's black agents to their preys do rouse.Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still;Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.So, prithee, go with me.This is the whole quote. In it, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth, without saying so directly, that he plans to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo knows too much about Macbeth and must be eliminated. When he says "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill" he means this: The murder of King Duncan was but the beginning; more killing will and must take place for Macbeth to live in safety.
What does the quote "Things bad Begun make strong themselves by ill" from Macbeth (3.2.55) mean?
The quote expresses Shakespeare's view of human nature--that mankind is basically evil. Specifically, in this quote, the playwright suggests that evil reproduces itself. If someone premeditates any type of crime or "sin," that premeditation causes the crime or sin to spin out of control and to become more than the perpetrator intended. The word "ill" has several interpretations. It is used in place of "evil," but it is also connected to the phrase "ill will" which means that someone intends to harm another or wishes for someone else to experience difficulties.
In the case of Macbeth, neither he nor Lady Macbeth had any idea at the beginning that their "ill" plot would lead to so many deaths or that it would have such a profound psychological effect upon them.