At the climax of the banquet, a dramatic and final reversal of fortune unfolds. The king, having stormed out into the palace garden in an emotional rage, returns with the exact same fury with which he left [תורה תמימה]. His anger may have even intensified while outside, as angels uprooted the garden trees to provoke him further, or because the setting reminded him of Haman's previous advice to execute Vashti [מנות הלוי]. Upon stepping back inside, the king witnesses a startling scene. In ancient royal banquets, guests reclined on couches rather than sitting on chairs [רש״י, רלב״ג, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Realizing that his doom has been sealed by the king, Haman throws himself at the foot of Esther's couch to beg for his life, hoping that a woman's mercy might save him [אבן עזרא, ישע אלהים].
However, Haman's posture is not simply a momentary collapse. The primary approach among commentators is that a hidden intervention takes place. Haman initially falls out of sheer terror, but an angel repeatedly pushes him down, preventing him from standing back up [רש״י, תורה תמימה, צאינה וראינה]. This continuous, forced falling creates a deceptive tableau for the king, making it appear as though Haman is actively assaulting the queen right at that moment [אור חדש]. This harsh intervention is an act of divine justice; for the wicked, a malicious thought is judged as severely as a completed action [נחל אשכול]. Witnessing this struggle, the king interprets the scene in the worst possible light. He is astounded by the sheer audacity, accusing Haman of attempting to force himself upon the queen in the king's own presence, within his own palace [רש״י, אבן עזרא, עמנואל הרומי, חומת אנך, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Other perspectives suggest the king believed Haman was attempting to physically murder Esther on the couch [מלבי״ם], or that he was aggressively trying to force her forgiveness against the king's will [יוסף אבן יחיא]. In a striking moment of poetic justice, Haman, who had previously orchestrated Vashti's downfall for a minor slight to the king's honor, now finds himself accused of a far more severe violation of that very same honor [מנות הלוי, חומת אנך].
The moment the king voices his accusation, Haman's fate is finalized, and his face is immediately covered [אבן עזרא]. On a practical level, this reflects an ancient Persian custom. When the king was enraged at an individual, servants would quickly cover the condemned man's face to remove him from the king's sight and help calm the royal fury [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם, עמנואל הרומי]. Yet, this action carries critical legal implications. Since making eye contact with a monarch could potentially evoke mercy and save a life, the servants cover Haman's face to ensure he has absolutely no chance to look at the king and be spared [חומת אנך, מנות הלוי, שלום אסתר]. Internally, Haman's face is overtaken by profound shame, disgrace, and a deathly pallor, as he realizes he has no remaining avenues to justify himself [ביאור שטיינזלץ, ישע אלהים]. A unique perspective adds that at this very moment, leprosy breaks out on Haman's face, serving as an immediate physical punishment and marking the beginning of the complete destruction of his human form [מנות הלוי, אור חדש].