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“Redime te captam quam queas minimo.”
Cultural Allusion
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 156-159

An explanation of Tranio’s Latin phrase in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Tranio

Master, it is no time to chide you now;    
Affection is not rated from the heart.    
If love have touched you, naught remains but so.    
'Redime te captam quam queas minimo.'

Many in Shakespeare’s audience would have recognized this phrase from a Latin textbook. It translates as “Regain your freedom at the lowest cost.” Apparently Tranio is not the world's biggest romantic, and thinks that Lucentio would be better off if he weren’t so enthralled by Bianca.