Literary Monster

The speaking tree is a bit odd as monsters go.  It is not monstrous in the sense that it is not aggressive or scary in the classical sense.  It does not attack or threaten the heroes, nor does it cause destruction and suffering.  The tree is also not one who instigates the meeting, as it is Sekandar who seeks out the tree.  It is more of a wonder than a monster; a mysterious being which seems to have knowledge beyond human understanding.  

The tree is surrounded by mystery; it is situated at the edge of a dark desert where no one dares to tread, and no birds or animals approach it.  The tree is an object of magic, seemingly otherworldly as it inhabits a space between the natural human world, and a strange and inhospitable “otherworld”.  The tree is also the subject of worship from the local people, who eat wild animals and leave their skins on the ground around it.  

While the tree is not aggressive, it is certainly frightening.  As previously stated, its habitat is strange and uninviting, and it speaks with “a voice to strike terror and foreboding in a man.” It predicts Sekandar’s coming death and the end of his kingdom, which wounds him deeply.  However, it later comforts him and advises him not to let his greed and sadness “darken and deaden [his] days.”

We can further examine the dual nature of the tree.  It has two trunks and two voices; a male voice that speaks during the day, and a female voice which speaks at night.  In this story, the male tree terrifies Sekandar and predicts his downfall, while the female tree comforts Sekandar and advises him.  The tree is a neutral entity, it can hurt as well as heal.

Unlike the monsters in other medieval texts, the tree is not an obstacle that the hero needs to overcome, but a being that enters the story and then leaves.  Unlike the monsters of Beowulf, it is not a danger or a threat, it is just a neutral entity that moves Sekandar along his journey of coming to terms with his mortality.  The tree could possibly be replaced with a simple human character without much of a change to the plot. Its inhuman nature is not something to fear, it is merely what it is; a speaking tree, nothing more, nothing less.