6

This chapter is deliciously ironic. You know as the reader that the king is asking how to honour Mordecai and Haman then describes how he would like the king to honour himself with no idea that the king wishes to honour his enemy. The best part is that in Haman's description of what he would like he says that a noble official should proclaim in front of the man "this is how the man shall be treated that the king delights to honour". In making that part of the reward he has no idea he's committing himself to parading Mordecai around the streets giving him honour in front of everyone in the city.

Haman doesn't seem to reflect at all on how dangerously that interview with the king could have played out for him. If he had requested Mordecai be executed before the king had asked how to honour Mordecai it wouldn't have gone down well. Although, however difficult that scene might have been it would probably have been preferable to what happens to him in the end. This failure to see how fortunate he is and to mourn because his enemy is honoured instead of him shows how pride and pettiness has completely consumed Haman.

Zeresh and Haman's wise men seem to have a premonition that opposing the Jews and Mordecai will lead to Haman's fall. Seems like Haman wasn't in the mood to listen though.