After Leonato greets Don Pedro, the two men joke for a few lines, and Benedick joins in. As the men separate, Beatrice finds a chance to cast a cold remark at Benedick; and this leads to the first witty exchange between the couple.
BEATRICE
I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick. Nobody marks you.
BENEDICK
What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?
BEATRICE
Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signor Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.
BENEDICK
Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.
BEATRICE
A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.
BENEDICK
God keep your ladyship still in that mind. So some gentleman or other shall scape a predestinate scratched face.
BEATRICE
Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were.
The mark of true Renaissance wit is the ability to come back immediately with a caustic or sarcastic remark in response to a comment that has just been made. Both Beatrice and Benedick are masters of this witty art form. Beatrice begins by remarking that Benedick is always talking (the word still in line 95 means always, and the word marks in the following line means listens). She then adds that there is no point to this because no one listens to him. Beatrice, then, finds a clever way to tell Benedick to be quiet.
But Benedick resorts to personification to make a witty comeback. He calls Beatrice Lady Disdain (line 97). The word disdain means to scorn, ridicule, or criticize. The word is both funny and appropriate. Disdain personified would naturally criticize everything and everybody; and, so, no one should take her comments seriously. The personification is also appropriate because there is some truth to it. Beatrice does ridicule most everybody, especially men. But if Beatrice is Lady Disdain, then Benedick is Sir Scorn. He is as critical and sarcastic about women as Beatrice is about men. The two of them are very much alike.
Benedick follows up his joke about disdain by asking Beatrice if she is still alive. The line follows cleverly Beatrice's line about Benedick "still talking." Benedick is asking in a witty way why Beatrice has not died yet.
Beatrice's response is a double form of wit: she responds to both the disdain comment and the "still living" comment in a single sentence (lines 98- 99). Beatrice suggests that the only way Disdain could die would be if she starves, and the only way she could starve would be if there was no one left to criticize. But Disdain has plenty of food to eat and cannot starve because Benedick is still alive. Disdain can always feed upon Benedick: in other words, Disdain will always have a target to criticize as long as Benedick exists.
Beatrice then follows her wonderful response to Benedick's criticism with some personification of her own. Beatrice remarks that even Courtesy herself would resort to scorn or disdain if she were in the presence of Benedick. The word courtesy refers to politeness and good manners. Of course, scorning or criticizing a person is not an act of politeness. Beatrice thus implies that Benedick is so full of negative qualities that even the most courteous person could not be good or polite when Benedick is near by.
Benedick immediately responds with a witty remark of his own. Since Beatrice refers to Courtesy as a female (with the word her in line 100), then Benedick comments that Courtesy has become a traitor (the word turncoat in line 101 means traitor). Benedick suggests that all women, including Courtesy, love him. Beatrice is the only woman who does not. Benedick is implying that the fault lies in Beatrice: he is implying that there something wrong with her for not liking him.
Benedick follows his witticism with a criticism against women. He declares that he wishes (the word would means wish in line 102) that he did not have a hard heart: even though women love him, he does not love any of them. He is implying that women are not worthy of being loved by him, but he is especially implying that he does not love Beatrice. Yet, the fact that he brings up the topic of love may imply that he is subconsciously thinking about it in relation to Beatrice.
Beatrice responds with another scornful yet witty remark (line 105). She suggests that Benedick's declaration against women is a blessing to them because then they will not end up with a harmful or malicious lover (pernicious suitor). But Beatrice cannot help remarking that she agrees with Benedick about one matter (the word humour in line 107 means way of thinking): she is also against marriage and loving men. Her declaration against love makes her the female counterpart to Benedick. And just as Benedick may not really mean what he says against love, so too may Beatrice also be hiding the true state of her heart.
The criticisms and quips between Beatrice and Benedick continue for several more lines. The two of them, for a time, appear to be able to go on all day in such a witty exchange. The two of them actually enjoy being engaged in a clever contest with one another.
However, other matters need to be attended to, and Benedick decides to end the contest for the time (at line 117).
But Beatrice makes one final remark before she and Benedick leave each other:
You always end with a jade's trick. I know you of old. (118)
The word jade refers to a horse that has not been trained very well. The word choice is a witty response to Benedick's earlier remark that the speed of Beatrice's tongue (that is, the amount of talking that she does) is like the speed of a race horse (line 115). If Beatrice is a fast race horse, then Benedick is a jade: he is someone who cannot complete a race (or a witty debate) because he has improper training (or lacks ability). Thus, Beatrice criticizes Benedick for not staying around longer to receive more criticisms and sarcastic remarks. She is implying that he is cowardly running away from their battle of wits.
The line about the jade, though, may have a double meaning. Beatrice may very well be referring to the relationship that had once occurred between herself and Benedick. Beatrice is declaring that Benedick ran out of that relationship in the same manner that he just ran out of their witty battle. The line "I know you of old" underscores this meaning. Beatrice is definitely referring to her past experiences with Benedick. Beatrice might says these last five words with bitterness, then, or perhaps even anger.