Blurb:

The book of Esther has long been central to the Jewish consciousness, liturgically performed in the synagogue on Purim and dramatically performed in shpieln (Purim plays) by children and adults alike. In the modern era, interpretations of the book have revolved around six major issues brought to the fore by contemporary events. These developments have led Jewish philosophers, artists, and scholars to turn their attention to Esther in six general ways. By looking at Jewish commentaries, illustrated editions, art, opera, drama, and scholarship, the contours of this rich discourse about Esther will be described.

One central question is the degree to which modern interpreters engage with traditional Jewish sources. A related issue is the role accorded or denied to God in the understanding of the Esther narrative. Especially with the rise of feminism, gender has provided a fruitful lens through which to read the story and theorize some of the key characters, especially Vasthi and Esther, although this has provoked a backlash as well. Politics have provided a further axis around which the readings of Esther have turned. With Zionism, Israel entered the political sphere as a nation for the first time in millennia and turned to the biblical books for precedents and occasionally guidance. For some readers, Esther and Mordecai have provided models of Machiavellian leaders, manipulating the political system to their will and utilizing violence to quash threats to their standing in society. Others have focused on the question of genocide, especially after the Shoah (Holocaust). What sparked Haman’s plot, and are there commonalities with the twentieth-century atrocities?