PLACE: The palace gate.
CHARACTERS: Haman, Mordecai, Servants, Esther.
[_Servants are standing and walking by the gate. Women
come by carrying water jars._ MORDECAI _stands apart
from the crowd._ HERALD _comes in._]
_Herald:_ Bow the knee, bow the knee. The chief counselor,
Haman, approacheth! Thus saith the King.
[HAMAN _comes in. All bow to him except_ MORDECAI.]
_Haman_ [_pointing to_ MORDECAI]: Who is this man who doth
not bow the knee to me?
_First Servant:_ He is Mordecai, the Jew, my lord. [_To_
MORDECAI]: Why dost thou break the King's commandment?
_Haman:_ Thou Jew! Dost thou think that thou art mightier
than I, whom the King hath set above all the princes of the
land? Thou shalt suffer for this. [_Turns to servant._] Send
letters unto all the King's provinces, to destroy, to kill,
and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little
children and women, in one day--even upon the thirteenth day
of the twelfth month, and to take the spoil of them for
prey.
[_Servant bows and goes away._ HAMAN _passes on,
leaving_ MORDECAI _with two servants._ MORDECAI, _in
deep thought, walks anxiously up and down._]
_Mordecai:_ I must see Queen Esther. Canst thou not take me
to the Queen?
_Second Servant_ [_laughing scornfully_]: Thinkest thou that
the Queen will see thee?
_Mordecai:_ Give the Queen this paper and say to her that I,
Mordecai, the Jew, bid her come to me.
[_Servant withdraws._]
_Mordecai_ [_walking, talks to himself_]: Israel, O Israel,
my people! You shall not perish. Esther, your Queen, will
save you.
[_Enter_ ESTHER.]
_Esther:_ Mordecai, my uncle, why art thou here? Thou
lookest unhappy. Hath aught happened to thee?
_Mordecai:_ Yea, Esther, I am unhappy. I have sorrowful news
to tell thee.
_Esther:_ Chamberlains, withdraw! Speak, Mordecai; tell me
quickly. It may be that I can help thee.
_Mordecai:_ Esther, thou canst help me, and thou art the
only one who can. Haman, the King's counselor, hateth the
Jews--thy people and mine. He hath sent a decree over all
the country commanding that every Jew, both old and young,
little children and women, be killed on the thirteenth day
of the twelfth month. Esther, thou must save thy people and
thyself? Thou must go before the King and beg of him that he
spare thy people.
[ESTHER _shows great distress._]
_Esther:_ Oh, what shall I do? Dost thou not know that for
one who dareth to go before the presence of the King, if the
King hath not called him, there is certain death; except to
whom the King shall hold out the golden scepter--he may
live? I have not been called to come in unto the King these
thirty days. He will surely put me to death for such
boldness.
_Mordecai:_ Thou must go unto the King even so. Think not
that thou wilt escape death from Haman because thou art in
the King's house. Who knoweth but that thou hast been made
Queen for such a time as this!
_Esther_ [_after thinking deeply_]: Go, gather together all
the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me,
and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day, I
also and my maidens will fast likewise--and so I will go in
unto the King, which is not according to the law, and if I
perish, I perish.
_Mordecai:_ May the Lord go with thee!