Blog 3 Dellafemina

Christina Della Femina

WGS 3463

Blog 3

Esther and Judith are easily comparable characters in the bible because of the strong similarities they share. Both are women who speak strongly towards men in a way that most women would have been reprimanded for doing. In Esther 4, Mordecai tells Esther that she must go to the king and request his assistance for their people despite the fact that anyone “who approaches the king…without being summoned…[will] be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives” (11). Judith speaks frankly to the elders without any regard to the fact that, as a woman, she is ‘inferior’ to them. Both risk their lives in order to save their people. As mentioned earlier, Esther speaking to the king could result in death, just as Judith offering herself up to the enemy could have easily gone badly.

Judith and the Esther from Additions use their femininity to appeal to men, although the later is unintentional. Judith “made herself very beautiful, to entice the eyes of all the men” (Judith 10:4), and uses that beauty to seduce and eventually kill Holofernes. In Additions, the king takes pity on Esther when she faints, appearing small and dainty, and grants her anything she wants (AddEsth 15 8-9).

Many other similarities can be found, but what happens to be the biggest difference between these two biblical figures is that Esther questions the plan of action suggested to her by her male counterpart, but Judith creates her scheme from God’s will and has no hesitation about carrying it out. Esther cannot save her people on her own; in order to save them, a man has to give the people permission to fight back. In her story, man is still an important authoritative figure. For Judith, it is the complete opposite. The elders had nothing to do with Judith’s plan. She said to the elders, “’ “Listen to me. I am about to do something that will go down through all generations of our descendants’” (Judith 8:32) and the elders just nod their heads in acceptance. It is clear from this that Judith is more assertive and less dependent on men for authority.