ESTHER. After King Xerxes banishes Queen Vashti, the Jewish orphan Esther wins a royal beauty contest and hides her heritage. The official Haman gets angry when Esther’s cousin Mordecai refuses to bow to him, leading Haman to trick the king into ordering the execution of all Jews. Mordecai urges Esther to speak to the king, even though going uninvited to the throne can carry a death penalty. She replies, "If I perish, I perish." Esther exposes Haman's plot at a banquet. Haman is hanged and Mordecai is promoted. Jews are given the right to defend themselves. This explained the origin of the Jewish holiday Purim.