The theory of representation and the concept of ideal Member of Parliament in Elizabethan England

The article examines the theoretical views on representation in Elizabethan England, which determined the notion of an exemplary member of parliament (MP). Central to the English theoretical model of representation was the idea of metaphorical embodiment of the whole nation in parliament, which influenced the perception of MP as an independent actor, an attorney, invested with plena potestas, and guided by his own independent judgment and experience. The author explores the connection between the notions of parliament as the Great Council and the High Court and the interpretation of MPs’ functions and goals, the influence of religious ideas, Renaissance culture and classical republicanism on the ideal of parliament man.