A Satire of The Three Estates

A Satire of the Three Estates (Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis) is a satirical morality play in Middle Scots, written by makar Sir David Lyndsay. The play was first performed outside in the playing field in June 1552 during the Midsummer holiday in Cupar, Fife where the action took place under Castle Hill. It was subsequently performed in Edinburgh, also outdoors, in 1554. The full text was first printed in 1602 although it also exists in a different manuscript version. Confusion about its date has existed since the Hamer edition first hypothesized different forms of the play. One of those forms only exists as an entry in the royal account book and an ambassador's report to Henry VIII. Apparently, Lyndsay had written a short play for the court of James V in 1540 which used a few characters who later appeared in the Satyre. (1. Joanne Spencer Kantrowitz, Dramatic Allegory:Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, University of Nebraska Press, 1975. Greg Walker,"Sir David Lindsay's Ane Satire of the Thrie Estaitis, Scottish Literary Journal 16.2 (Nov. 1989); Roderick Lyall, Ane Satyre of The Thrie Estaitis, Edited with an introduction and commentary, Canongate Classics 18, 1989.)

The Satire is an attack on the Three Estates represented in the Parliament of Scotland – the clergy, lords and burgh representatives, symbolised by the characters Spiritualitie, Temporalitie and Merchant. The clergy come in for the strongest criticism.

Written not long after the Reformation reached Scotland, the work portrays the social tensions present at this pivotal moment in Scottish history. In the 20th century, John McGrath adapted the play as a contemporary morality A Satire of the Four Estaites, which was presented by Wildcat Theatre Company at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival in 1996. This production opened on 16 August 1996 and starred Sylvester McCoy. The play's first modern production occurred on August 24, 1948 at the Edinburgh Festival with a modernized text by Robert Kemp and directed by Tyrone Guthrie. The play was also quoted at the opening of the new Scottish Parliament, a mark that illustrates its importance to modern Scots.