Three Estates :: Essays Papers

Three Estates The term Three Estates is used to describe the divisions of the European parliament. Parliament is defined by the Webster’s Dictionary as, "an assemblage of person (as members of nobility, clergy, and commons) called together by the British sovereign setting for a period of time and then being dissolved, and constituting the supreme legislature body of the United Kingdom." Parliament could also be defined as, "The 'image' and 'the thing in deed' of the mixed party (Alford 36)." The three different groups as mentioned in the definition by the Webster’s Dictionary are the estates that divide the parliament. The estates are not of physical property, but rather the separation of the society. One group was the clergy, which consisted of the bishops and priests, who were also called the prayers. Next there was the group of nobility which was formed by the kings, queens and knights, as so known as the fighters. And finally, the last group was the group of commons which were the average person such as the workers. The term three estates showed the fundamental view of the separation of society in medieval time s. This term Three Estates does not necessarily mean the three divisions of the parliament. This term could be, "as more effective synonym for 'both houses' ." (Alford 36) The two houses are the House of the Lords and the House of the Commons. This shows that the term is not a direct interpretation , but rather an idea of the separation. Parliament was used to "manage the Crown's business (Loades 90)." The parliament was also used to pass bills and legislature, but each time a bill was presented, it was mandatory that it would go through each house at least three times. As the age of the Parliament became older, it's procedures grew "more sophisticated, and more strictly enforced." (Loades 92) The Parliament also became a place at which "provided a very good platform for a monarch who wanted to say something of particular importance." (Loades 93) But the Parliament did also have its faults. It had a separation between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of the Lords was closer to the court, highly spiritual, and made themselves to the hand of the monarch.