Power in Megillat Esther

The story of Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther) presents the various power relations that exist between the different characters. We will learn about the power that each character holds, and the importance of deciding how that power should be used.

Resource Ages: 12-14

Source

It happened in the days of Achashverosh—that Achashverosh who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Nubia. In those days, when King Achashverosh occupied the royal throne in the capital Shushan, in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all the officials and courtiers—the administration of Persia and Media, the nobles and the governors of the provinces in his service. For no fewer than a hundred and eighty days he displayed the vast riches of his kingdom and the splendid glory of his majesty.

Megillat Esther, chapter 1, verses 1-4

וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה׃ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה׃ בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ עָשָׂה מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל שָׂרָיו וַעֲבָדָיו חֵיל פָּרַס וּמָדַי הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת לְפָנָיו׃ בְּהַרְאֹתוֹ אֶת עֹשֶׁר כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאֶת יְקָר תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּדוּלָּתוֹ יָמִים רַבִּים שְׁמוֹנִים וּמְאַת יוֹם.

On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he ordered […] to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing a royal crown, to display her beauty to the peoples and the officials; for she was a beautiful woman. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command conveyed by the eunuchs. The king was greatly incensed, and his fury burned within him. Then the king consulted the sages […]“What,” [he asked,] “shall be done, according to law, to Queen Vashti for failing to obey the command of King Achashverosh conveyed by the eunuchs?” Thereupon Memucan declared […]: “If it please Your Majesty, let a royal edict be issued by you, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it cannot be abrogated, that Vashti shall never enter the presence of King Achashverosh. And let Your Majesty bestow her royal state upon another who is more worthy than she.

Megillat Esther, chapter 1, verses 10-19

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, כְּטוֹב לֵב הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּיִן אָמַר […] לְהָבִיא אֶת וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת:  לְהַרְאוֹת הָעַמִּים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֶת יָפְיָהּ, כִּי טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא.  וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי לָבוֹא בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים; וַיִּקְצֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ מְאֹד, וַחֲמָתוֹ בָּעֲרָה בוֹ.  

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לַחֲכָמִים יֹדְעֵי הָעִתִּים […] כְּדָת מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת בַּמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָשְׂתָה אֶת מַאֲמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים. 

וַיֹּאמֶר מְמוּכָן […]  אִם עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב, יֵצֵא דְבַר מַלְכוּת מִלְּפָנָיו וְיִכָּתֵב בְּדָתֵי פָרַס וּמָדַי וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר: אֲשֶׁר לֹא תָבוֹא וַשְׁתִּי לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וּמַלְכוּתָהּ יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ לִרְעוּתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה. 

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Foundations for Planning

Essential Questions

  • What can we learn from different generations?
  • How do beliefs, ethics, or values influence different people’s behavior?

Content Questions Related to the Essential Questions

  • What are some criteria and circumstances for using different types of power (physical power, power of authority, power of resistance, emotional power, etc.)?
  • Why is power important? How might power be dangerous? What responsibility does power entail? How are these issues reflected in Megillat Esther?

Background for Teacher

The term “power”, as a sociological term, refers to the ability of an individual, group or entity to achieve their will and advance their own interests over the interests of another. For example, the power of one group to obtain a governmental budget for...

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The term “power”, as a sociological term, refers to the ability of an individual, group or entity to achieve their will and advance their own interests over the interests of another. For example, the power of one group to obtain a governmental budget for its own purposes, as opposed to another group also interested in obtaining a budget. 

Power comes from various sources. This includes power resulting from physical superiority; power resulting from a particular status or position; power resulting from money; power resulting from possession of knowledge; etc. The philosopher Michel Foucault argued that power in society exists in the form of power relations – power is not entirely in the hands of only one side in the relationship, but rather the different sides hold various forms of power. For example, consider a school principal and teacher. The principal has power because of their position, but the subordinate teacher also has power in the relationship because they possess certain information that the principal does not. We learn from this that power relations are variable and not fixed, and that the person who at first appears to have the upper hand might later find themselves in a weaker position.

According to Foucoult’s definition, Megillat Esther is constructed as a system of variable power relations. The characters in the megillah hold different powers that are reflected and used throughout the megillah. 

  • King Achashverosh holds power by virtue of his status as king, and yet he feels the need to display his power by bragging about his wealth and Queen Vashti’s beauty at the banquet he throws at the beginning of the megillah making one wonder just how confident he really feels in his power. 
  • Queen Vashti is seemingly powerless in the face of the king’s status, in that she must oblige his commandments, however she uses her moral power to refuse the king’s demands. 
  • Haman holds a position of strength in the king’s palace, but his power does not hold water before Mordechai, whose power comes from his values and beliefs. In this case, refusal and resistance serve the weaker party in the balance of power when Mordechai refuses to bow to Haman. 
  • Mordechai later manages to inherit Haman’s status and gain power by virtue of his new position.
  • Esther is initially in a powerless position as a woman in a patriarchal position, yet she manages to mobilize her own power thanks to the knowledge that she possesses – the secret of her identity. 

Esther recruits the Jewish people to fast together with her, thus gaining power based on their agreement and the authority they grant her as their representative. 

Esther also uses her sexual power to deceive King Achashverosh. 

  • The Jewish people also change their position, from a persecuted people to a powerful entity that goes after its enemies and fights them, thus using their power for revenge.  

We can learn from the motif of power in the megillah that each of us holds power of one kind or another. If we know what power we have, we can use it. However, along with power also comes responsibility for how we use our power – whether for good or for harm. In the same way, Achashverosh abuses his power at the beginning of the megillah, but following Esther’s influence, uses his power as king to help the Jewish people. Recognizing our abilities and strengths can help us bring about positive change and do good things for both ourselves and our surroundings

Optional Hooks
In-Depth Discussion
Suggested Activities
Further Study

Watch this video that shows animals trying to cross a bridge and bumping into each other. Pause the video at the 20 minute mark, after the bear and deer bump into each other. Ask the students to think about what each side wants, and how this issue might be solved. Then watch the rest of the video.

Discuss: What abilities did each animal use to try to get what they wanted? What different powers or strengths are shown in the video? What powers help solve the problem? What powers do not help? In what way did the bear and deer’s physical power serve them, or could have been used to their advantage? What criticism can be made about the way the rabbit and raccoon acted? Does the one who is “weak” also have responsibility for how they use their power, or is the responsibility only on the one who is “strong”? Explain.

  1. What is power? Explain using your own words. 
  2. Without going into detail, which of the characters in the megillah do you think has the most power? What gives them this power?
  3. Is there any character in the megillah who you think is completely powerless? What is the basis for your opinion?
  4. What is the source of Achashverosh’ power? Do you think he deserves this power? Why?
  5. Haman is in a position of great power, as a senior advisor in Achashverosh’ court. What does he do with this power? What does he not manage to do, despite the power he holds? 
  6. Unlike Achashverosh and Haman, Mordechai doesn’t have an important position or status. On what basis does he dare to refuse to bow to Haman? What gives him the power to refuse such a commandment?
  7. Haman and Mordechai switch positions many times throughout the story. Haman is initially in a high position yet reaches a low point, whereas Mordechai rises to greatness. What can this teach us about positions of power in life in general? What might cause those in positions of power to lose their status? What advice would you give to a person who is about to enter a position of power?
  8. At the beginning of the megillah, Esther appears to be a weak and passive character, yet she nevertheless manages to bring about big changes in the narrative and save the Jewish people. What do you think are the sources of her power? What can we learn from Esther’s story about times in life when we feel like we are powerless or lack influence? Use an example from your life to illustrate your response.
  9. Do you think that you have power in your own life? What are your powers? Explain how it can be helpful to know your powers. 
  10. Achashverosh uses his power as king to do things that are unnecessary (such as debauchery) and even evil (such as commanding the destruction of the Jewish people) but also for good (such as helping Esther save her people). Give an example of a well-known person who used their power for good, and another well-known person who uses their power for evil. What can be learned from this about using our power responsibly? How can we learn to use our power for good?
  • Ask the students to think about the characters in the megillah as superheroes. Have them assign each character a superpower that is unique to them, in line with the story (this does not necessarily need to be a physical power). The students can use their creativity to show each character’s superpower as they understand it. For example, they can design a poster showing the hero and their abilities; write a resume or business card for the superhero; draw an illustration or make a collage of the character; create a superhero costume for the character; etc. You can also divide the students into groups, having each group learn about one of the characters and then writing and performing a skit about them. 
  • Divide the students into pairs and ask them to tell each other about a time when they discovered a certain power they have. The students should describe the particular situation and answer the following questions: What was the power of the person/group/entity they were facing? What did they expect would happen when they faced this situation? What really happened? Which of their own powers were reflected in this particular situation? What brought them to light?
  • “With great power comes great responsibility.” Create a list of different powers and write them down on different note cards that you put into a “Box of Powers”. Divide the students into pairs and have each pair take a note card from the box with a power listed on it. Have the students think about one way they can use that power for evil, and one way they can use that power for good. Discuss why people sometimes use their power for evil, and if they necessarily intend to act like this. Ask the students to formulate rules to help a person in a position of power be cautious and abstain from using their power for evil. 
  • Expand on each megillah character’s power using this video from the TALI Foundation. You can use the automatic subtitles to choose different languages.
  • Expand upon the different characters from the megillah using the “Characters in the Megillah” resource.
  • Expand upon the topic of leadership and responsibility by learning about the importance of using power responsibly.