Act 3 — SCENE I

Place: The King's palace—Shushan.

Characters: King Ahasuerus (king of Media and Persia), Haman (chief counselor), Persian Princes, Servants.

[The King is seated on his throne, princes seated before the King, and Haman is seated by the King's side. Servants are bringing drinks in golden vessels.]

King: The seventh day of this feast hath come, and on this day will I bring my beautiful Queen, Vashti, before you. The princes of my land must depart, bearing a good report of my fair Queen as well as of the great riches of my court. Chamberlains, come forth! [The servants come before the King and bow.] I command you to bring Vashti, the Queen, before my presence. [Servants withdraw.]

First Prince: O King, this is a great honor that thou bestowest upon us!

Second Prince: Yea, Vashti, the Queen, is already known over the land for her wondrous beauty. We are most happy that thou wilt allow thy servants to behold her.

Third Prince: What wonderful tidings we will spread over thy provinces, O King. Thy people do not know the half of thy riches and thy wonderful greatness and generosity.

[Enter servants. They bow low.]

King: Rise; what is thy message?

[They do not rise.]

First Servant: O King, be merciful unto us!

[They bow lower.]

King: What meaneth this? Speak! [in astonishment] I command thee. Where is the Queen?

Second Servant: O great King, we delivered thy message as thou didst command, but the Queen has refused to come before thy presence.

[All the princes and the King show surprise and anger.]

King: Refused to obey me? This is impossible! Are ye certain that she understood the meaning of my command?

Servants: We are, O King.

King: She hath refused! It cannot be! [He looks absently away.] She must be punished.

Haman: What shall we do to Queen Vashti according to the law, because she hath not performed the commandment of King Ahasuerus?

First Prince: She hath not done wrong to the King only, but also to all the princes of the land, for this deed of the Queen shall become known unto all the women of Media and Persia and they shall despise the command of their husbands: "Because," they shall say, "King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti, the Queen, to be brought before him and she came not."

Second Prince: What shall we do? This will cause great trouble and disobedience.

King: What thinkest thou, Haman, my chief counselor?

Haman: If it please the King, let there go forth a royal commandment and let it be written among the laws of the Medes and Persians that Vashti come no more before Ahasuerus, and let the King give her royal estate to another that is better than she. Then when this decree shall become known all wives shall give honor unto their husbands.

King: This saying pleaseth me greatly. I shall do accordingly. [To servants]: Send letters unto every province to every people, which shall state this decree, so that every man shall know it.

Haman: O King, I pray thee, let there be fair maidens brought before thee from which thou shalt choose another which shall be thy Queen.

King: So be it! See that fair maidens from every province be brought here to my palace; and the one that pleaseth me best, I will take her for my Queen.

[All bow.]