Measure for Measure: Claudio's Words

"I stagger in - but this new governor

Awakes me all the enrolled penalties

Which have like unscoured armor, hung by the wall

So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round

And none of them been worn; and for a name

Now puts the drowsy and neglected act

Freshly on me. Tis surely for a name."

These words are spoken by Claudio, an important character in the play, Measure for Measure in Act 1: Scene 2. Claudio is engaged to be married to Juliet. But Juliet becomes pregnant before the marriage. For this Angelo the king who is taking the place of the Duke punishes Claudio with imprisonment and death.

It is in this backdrop that these words are spoken by Claudio to Lucio, his friend. He says that the new governor has revived in the case of Claudio old laws which were not enforced earlier.

Claudio compares the punishment meted out by Angelo for him for wrongdoing to be like unscoured armor.

Claudio says that nineteen years have gone by but the armor has not been worn.

For nineteen years Claudio has not been punished if wearing the armor is punishment.

Yet now because the new governor wants to prove his competence he chooses to punish him. According to Claudio the purpose of the punishment is to gain a reputation.

Awakes me: revives in my case Enrolled penalties: recorded in the rules of law.

Unscoured armor: Armor is the protective covering worn by soldiers during war. Unscoured is unpolished. Unscoured armor is unpolished armor.

Zodiac: Year

For a name: To gain a reputation

Two questions I had about these words are

1. Claudio compares the punishment to unscoured armor. If armor is a protective covering worn by soldiers and kings during war why is it likened to punishment in the words spoken by Claudio written by Shakespeare. How is punishment similar to armor?

2. The second question is if Claudio was making such a an offense for the first time. When Claudio says armor unpolished hanging on the wall not worn for 19 years did he mean that for 19 years he has committed offense and wasn't punished or did he do no wrong for 19 years and was not punished or was he doing wrong for the first time?

These words reflect a theme in the play--that of how societal morality is regulated by the state.