Mental health

Fear and Anxiety

The most prominent struggle Esther faces is intense fear and anxiety when she learns of Haman's plot to annihilate the Jewish people. Her uncle Mordecai charges her with the responsibility of saving her people by approaching the king, but this is a life-threatening act. The king could have her executed for approaching him without being summoned. Esther's famous response, "If I perish, I perish," is often cited as a sign of courage, but it also reveals the profound terror she felt. It is the language of a person facing a potential death sentence. The act of fasting for three days before her approach, and her strategic planning, highlights the immense mental and emotional burden she carried to overcome her fear.

Identity and Isolation

Esther was a secret Jew in the royal court, unable to openly practice her faith or connect with her community. This secret identity created a profound sense of isolation and a forced duality in her life. She was living in a world of opulence and power, yet she was deeply connected to her vulnerable, persecuted people. This constant need to conceal her true self and the internal conflict between her two identities c

Sample Answer

Esther’s mental health struggles are a subject of theological and literary interpretation, as the biblical text does not explicitly diagnose her with a mental illness. However, a close reading of the Book of Esther, combined with an understanding of her circumstances, reveals several significant psychological challenges.

The Trauma of Forced Circumstances

Esther was a Jewish orphan living in a foreign land. She was "taken" from her home and forced to participate in a year-long beauty competition to become queen of Persia. This was not a voluntary contest; the text uses passive language ("Esther was taken") suggesting she was a victim of circumstance, with no agency in her initial selection. Living in the king's harem, surrounded by other young women vying for the king's attention, would have been a profoundly isolating and anxiety-inducing experience. The stress of this environment and the powerlessness she must have felt over her own life would be a source of immense psychological distress.