Esther and the Male Gaze

In the modern world, a marriage that starts with a year-long selection process and threatens the life of your only living family member would be labeled “toxic” at best. Most of your friends would tell you to run while you can –– but why leave when you could match his energy? As any couple will tell you, manipulation is the key to getting what you want out of a relationship.

For proof of this concept, we can travel back to the late fifth century BCE and the story of Esther. In the Old Testament Book of Esther, the titular character is a young Jewish orphan raised by her cousin, Mordecai. Her story begins with King Ahasuerus (likely modelled on this historical King Xerxes) banishing his wife, Queen Vashti, for refusing to appear before him and his guests. He orders a search for a new queen, which essentially functions as an elaborate beauty contest. Young women from across the Persian empire, including Esther, are brought to receive makeovers and be judged on their physical appearances. At first, Esther's rise to power appears to be dictated solely by the reduction of women to objects of desire and the whims of male authority. Xerxes’s initial decision to replace Vashti with another woman based on the main criterion of beauty reflects the power dynamics of a patriarchal society. Women are constantly subject to the male gaze, and their value seems to be determined by their ability to satisfy the desires of male power.

However, even at this early stage, Esther games the system by understanding what the male gaze assumes of her. Though the text makes clear that she is selected for her beauty, she is also said to have followed the advice of the eunuch in charge of the harem, playing up the demure nature she is expected to possess when she goes before the king. Thus, from the beginnings of her time in power, Esther has a complicated relationship with the male gaze, but it is ultimately her understanding of the concept that allows her to subsequently manipulate and exploit it. Once Esther becomes queen, she finds herself in a unique position. Though she now wields a title, her power is limited by her gender, her status as a foreigner, and the rules of the court. However, Esther does not simply accept these constraints; she works within them in order to evade them. She understands that her beauty, which initially secured her position, can also be utilized as a tool in her pursuit of a greater goal.

One of the key moments in the story is when Mordecai informs Esther of Haman’s plot to annihilate the Jewish people. She understands that she must use her influence subtly, exploiting what she knows about the egos of Xerxes and Haman to save her people. Her strategy involves fasting and prayer, but also ensuring that when she talks to the king, she does so in a way that gets his attention. The text emphasizes that she dresses in “royal robes,” understanding that her appearance is crucial in persuading Xerxes. But her manipulation of the male gaze goes beyond physical appearance. For example, she begins her appeal with a deferential phrase, announcing “if it pleases the king,” before her initial statement. Furthermore, she understands how to stroke the male ego and thus makes the smart move of delaying her real request. She knows that the king and Haman think of her as hospitable and unassuming, so she becomes what they expect of her, only to later subvert it. By inviting them to two banquets, she not only bides her time, but also plays into their self-importance. Haman is overjoyed by the invitation, which only inflates his sense of arrogance. In fact, he boasts to his wife that he’s “the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave.”

Esther’s ability to control the narrative by controlling how and when she presents herself speaks to her understanding of the male ego. By understanding the male gaze, she manipulates it, allowing Xerxes and Haman to grow comfortable. When Esther finally reveals that she is a Jew, and it is Haman’s plot that threatens the lives of her people, she plays on Xerxes’ ego, making him realize that his trusted advisor has endangered his queen. It is easy for Haman to believe that she has no ulterior motives because he’s blinded by his own sense of superiority. He doesn’t view her as capable of outwitting him, so he is more easily lulled into a sense of security with simple flattery. When he is ultimately bested, it comes as a shock because Esther is able to subvert the male gaze from within it.

In the end, Esther’s story is not simply about a woman who stumbles into power; it’s about a woman who understands the intricacies of the power she holds. Though it was the impetus for her ascension to empress, she does not rely solely on her appearance. She uses it as one tool among many in her strategic arsenal. She understands the limitations placed upon her by a patriarchal society but works within those boundaries to move beyond them. Esther is not just a queen but a savior of her people, and her story challenges the notion that women in ancient societies were powerless. Instead, it shows that power can be used in unexpected ways, and that one can use the male gaze against itself.