Book of Esther Hate

The biggest hater in the story is Haman. He's like the honorary president of Haterz R Us (ooo, cold burn). He hates Mordecai for not bowing down to him and, consequently, ends up hating and trying to kill all the Jews. Where's the love, Haman? The answer seems to be "Nowhere."

King Ahasuerus might be infected with hate too, or he might just be indifferent to hatred. Whatever the case, he doesn't do anything to prevent Haman's wicked plan at first. In fact, he totally signs off on it and thinks it's pretty great. He and Haman sit down to have a drink after sealing the deal on their genocidal scheme. But at the end of the day, the Book of Esther shows that hatred and the gigantic killing devices it builds (like Haman's gallows) will be defeated, reversed in fact.

Questions About Hate

1. Is King Ahasuerus a hater? Why does he go along with this evil genocidal plan? Is he just not very bright or is it something more sinister? What gets him to be less of a hater? Does he really become less of a hater?
2. What are the roots of Haman's hatred? Is he just naturally full of hate or does it all start somewhere?
3. How do Ahasuerus and Haman compare with present day haters like the Ku Klux Klan or Neo-Nazis? Are there similarities? Differences?
4. Do Esther and Mordecai hate anyone? Or are they bigger than that? How do you know?