Question

What is Beatrice suggesting in these lines? "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."

Answer 1

Beatrice is using a playful metaphor to discuss the giving and taking of affection in a romantic relationship, suggesting that her love interest once won her heart deceitfully and now she has 'lost' it.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lines spoken by Beatrice refer to the metaphorical 'heart' that was lent and then lost in a game symbolic of love and courtship. Beatrice comedically suggests that she had given her beloved interest on his 'single heart' by offering her 'double heart', indicating a playful exchange of affection. However, she then notes that she has 'lost' it because the beloved previously won her heart through deceit (false dice). The underlying context indicates a romantic jest, playing upon the metaphors of games of chance to describe the complexities of love dynamics.