, ▁and ▁take ▁their ▁goods . ▁On ▁the ▁th ir teenth ▁day ▁of ▁Ad ar , ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁that ▁Ham an ▁had ▁set ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁killed , ▁the ▁Jews ▁do ▁so ▁in ▁one ▁city , ▁killing ▁ 5 0 0 ▁people ▁but ▁not ▁taking ▁pl under , ▁and ▁they ▁kill ▁around ▁ 7 5 , 0 0 0 ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁again ▁not ▁taking ▁pl under , ▁and ▁then ▁they ▁fe ast . ▁ ▁Pur im ▁ ▁The ▁Jews ▁established ▁an ▁annual ▁fe ast , ▁the ▁fe ast ▁of ▁Pur im , ▁in ▁memory ▁of ▁their ▁deliver ance . ▁Ham an ▁set ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁Ad ar ▁ 1 3 ▁to ▁commence ▁his ▁campaign ▁against ▁the ▁Jews . ▁This ▁determined ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁festival ▁of ▁Pur im . ▁ ▁Inter pret ations ▁ ▁D ian ne ▁T id ball ▁arg ues ▁that ▁while ▁Vas ht i ▁is ▁a ▁" f em in ist ▁icon ", ▁Est her ▁is ▁a ▁post - f em in ist ▁icon . ▁ ▁Abraham ▁K uy per ▁notes ▁some ▁" dis ag ree able ▁aspects " ▁to ▁her ▁character : ▁that ▁she ▁should ▁not ▁have ▁agreed ▁to ▁take ▁Vas ht i ' s ▁place , ▁that ▁she ▁ref rained ▁from ▁saving ▁her ▁nation ▁until ▁her ▁own ▁life ▁was ▁threatened , ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁car ries ▁out ▁blood th irst y ▁ven ge ance . ▁ ▁The ▁tale ▁opens ▁with ▁Est her ▁as ▁beautiful ▁and ▁ob ed ient , ▁but ▁also ▁a ▁relatively ▁pass ive