Esther 1 - 3

King Ahasuerus of the Persian empire was a proud and successful man.  While giving a feast to laud his accomplishments, he desired his queen, Vashti, to dance for the attendees.  She refused; and the king was forced into divorcing her and selecting a new queen.  A beauty contest of sorts was held throughout the land to choose this new queen.  Among the participants was a Jewish girl named Hadassah (she was also called Esther) whose uncle Mordecai worked at the royal palace.  Esther was made queen, Mordecai uncovered a plot to assassinate the king, and a man named Haman began to resent the preferential treatment he perceived Mordecai to be receiving.  Haman began to plot against the Jewish people as an effort to eliminate Mordecai.