The heavy tone of the previous scene becomes lightened in the second scene of Act V as the love comedy resumes. Benedick attempts to write a love poem for Beatrice, but he finds it too difficult. Despite his wit in sarcasms and criticism, his wit does not extend to writing fine poetry. Benedick may be just too affected by his lovesickness. Or, perhaps, Shakespeare may be commenting that even a steady wit is not enough to qualify one to write great poetry.
When Beatrice enters, Benedick also attempts to converse in the manner of a sincere lover; but their usually witty criticisms prevent either of them in speaking successfully as lovers. So, Benedick asserts the following:
Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably. (61)
Benedick is implying that both of them are too sarcastic to speak sweet words of love. Even at this comment, Beatrice responds with yet another witty remark. She claims that Benedick is not very wise to make such a statement because, according to an old proverb, wise men do not praise themselves. But Benedick has just praised himself by calling himself wise. And thus it continues. Beatrice and Benedick never do speak the sweet words of love (unlike, for example, Romeo and Juliet). Yet hidden beneath their sarcasm and argumentative responses is a love just as strong as any between poetic lovers.
At the end of this scene the servant Ursula comes to Beatrice and Benedick and informs them how the truth about Hero's accusation has been revealed and how Don John had tricked Don Pedro and Claudio. Ursula also informs them that the guilty Don John has run away.
When Beatrice asks Benedick to go with her to hear the full news about these events, Benedick responds with the following:
I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes. And moreover, I will go with thee to thy uncle's.
(86-87)
The first sentence appears, at first, to be a sweetly spoken statement about love. Benedick is declaring that he will live and serve Beatrice for the rest of his life. But the Renaissance audience was always ready for a double entendre (a pun with a second sexual meaning) when they attended a comedy. The word die was also Elizabethan slang for having an orgasm. Thus, Benedick's love sentiment becomes a witticism for having sex. In addition, the second sentence is plain and blunt. Benedict realizes that he cannot speak successfully as a lover, so he resorts to simple prose.