Why Does Exodus Emphasize God Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart?

In the Exodus narrative, we’re repeatedly told that Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, and in several places it’s specifically attributed to God Himself (“the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart”). This raises a lot of theological questions for me: • Why would God actively harden Pharaoh’s heart rather than simply allowing Pharaoh to make his own decisions? • What purpose is served by God hardening Pharaoh’s heart multiple times, dragging the conflict out through all ten plagues instead of resolving it earlier? • How should we understand the tension between Pharaoh’s responsibility and God’s direct action?

I’m curious how people here read this—both within the immediate context of Exodus and within the broader biblical/theological framework