We mentioned above, that Haman’s daughter poured garbage on her father by mistake, and ended up so distraught that she killed herself. The question is, how exactly did this happen, why was she not able to recognize the voice of her father?
The Ben Yehoyada answers: כי מחמת שהיה מכריז בכמה מבואות ניחר גרונו ונשתנה קולו ונמצא אדרבה הקול הטעה אותה שאין זה אביה - “Since he went through all the streets and alleyways shouting, his throat was effected and his voice started to sound different, and on the contrary this is what confused her, and made her think this wasn’t her father”.
However, why was she not able to see who he was based on what he looked like?
The Ben Yehoyada explains that Haman was embarrassed at what he was doing, so he held his head low and faced the ground. Since he was facing the ground, his daughter who was standing above on the roof top was unable to see him and made a mistake.
However, he then asks, surely, she should have been able to see that the person on the horse was Mordechai and not her father?
He answers that Mordechai was weak from fasting for three nights and two days and was unable to lift up his head whilst on the horse, so he was bent over leaning on the horse, therefore, Haman’s daughter couldn’t see his face.
Some answer, that Mordechai always ran away from kavod [honor], therefore, he specially bent over to hide his face. Since Mordechai made sure to hide his face, Haman’s daughter was unable to recognize him. Some say that this is one of the reasons why there is a minhag to wear masks on Purim.
The Ibn Ezra learns, that Mordechai covered his face with a mask, according to this it’s easy to understand why Haman’s daughter couldn’t see who it was.
However, I think the simplest answer to explain why Haman’s daughter couldn’t recognize her father’s voice, or see who it was is that she was very high up, and it’s hard to see and hear from so high up.
Some answer, Haman changed his voice specially in order that people wouldn’t recognize that it was him, therefore, his daughter couldn’t tell.
Others answer, that Haman’s daughter knew the extent of her father’s haughtiness, and she knew that he would even do things like sit on a horse and call out by himself: “So shall be done to the man who the king wants to honor”. Therefore, although she heard her father calling out, “So shall be done to the man who the king wants to honor”, she didn’t rule out the option that he was the one on the horse.
One final answer I saw is: Leading Mordechai through the streets was a great embarrassment to Haman. So, after dressing Mordechai in the royal garb, he cunningly turned to Mordechai and asked him for permission to wear his clothing as he led him through the city square. Mordechai consented, thinking this would only intensify Haman’s humiliation since the people viewing the parade would recognize that the one leading was really Haman.
When Haman’s daughter looked down from the rooftop and saw someone dressed in Jewish garb leading someone in royal garb, she was convinced that the leader was undoubtedly Mordechai and that the one on the horse was her father. However, when her father looked up to her and she saw his face, she realized her error and committed suicide by throwing herself from the roof.
