In the presence of a Persian king, etiquette demanded that one be silent until spoken to. Consequently, Haman could not immediately introduce his plan of having Mordecai executed. He had to answer the king’s own question first. In fact, this question pleased him, as his pride led him to assume that he was the man whom the king had in mind! In his case, as in the case of all those who are proud, pride would lead to a fall (Proverbs 16:18; Proverbs 18:12).
6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”