“Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Discourses
Esther The New Queen
Esther, a Jewish girl, won a beauty pageant to become the queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus. Her real name was Hadassah. And she'd been raised by her uncle Mordecai after the death of her parents.
Haman's Plot Against The Jews
Haman, a powerful man in the kingdom, was used to seeing people bow down before him. So he took issue with Mordecai when the latter refused to bow down or pay homage. In retaliation, Haman made a plan to wipe out the Jewish diaspora by presenting them as the darkness and himself as the light.
The king Honors Mordecai
One night the king recollected that Mordecai once saved him from two guards. So he decided to honor Mordecai.
At this very moment, Haman entered the outer court of the palace to talk to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows.
Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)
When asked by the king what honor should be given to a man that the king wanted to honor, Haman answered, "Let the king's most noble officials put the king's dress on the man and put him on the king's horse, and let them proclaim throughout the city, 'This is the man whom the king delights to honor'".
Haman presumed that the king's honor was meant for him. But then the unexpected happened.
"Do what you have said to Mordecai. Leave out nothing!" said the king and Haman did so.
Haman's Death
Esther gave a feast to the king and Haman for two days. On the second day, she was asked by the king, "What is your wish, my queen? Even half of my kingdom will be given".
A phrase from a speech in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, "Hoist with his own petard," means, lifted ("hoist") off the ground with his own bomb ("petard").
At this moment, Esther informed the king about Haman's plot to wipe out all the Jews in the kingdom. This resulted in the king's order to hang the man on the same gallows he himself had prepared for Mordecai.