#benedick and beatrice in a few lines...insane. you're like Oh i love a bantering couple And Then He Hits You With The Implications and then

[malinaa]

Hi! I just saw your post about that bit from Much Ado About Nothing where Beatrice says “Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it of me with false dice. Therefore your Grace may well say I have lost it” and you said something about the implications of it. I’m just now getting into Shakespeare and English isn’t my first language (and translations don’t always make it justice) so, if you don’t mind, would you explain to me what does it mean?

ahhh i'd be happy to!

PRINCE Come, lady, come, you have lost the heart of Signior Benedick. BEATRICE Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it of me with false dice. Therefore your Grace may well say I have lost it. ACT 2, SCENE 1, 271-277

this entire bit (along with beatrice's I know you of old in 1.1.142-143) implies that beatice and benedick had a relationship prior to what you seen of them now. the prince tells beatrice, "oh you lost benedick's heart" because of how scathing he was when beatrice entered the room. but beatrice tells the prince that benedick gave her his heart once, that he gave her affection ("he lent it me awhile") knowing he would take it back. and beatrice gave him her heart ("a double heart for his single heart"), i.e. she loved him enough to return his affections and felt that she loved him more than he did her. in beatrice's view, she thinks benedick was just playing with her ("he won it off me with false dice"). and when benedick metaphorically takes his heart back, their relationship ended badly enough to have them argue every time they meet

tldr: benedick and beatrice had a relationship before this and beatrice is bitter about it because benedick broke her heart