The passage in which Sekandar discovers the Speaking Tree, and subsequently of his own imminent demise, highlights the attitude that the Shahnameh has towards mortality and legacy, especially as presented in conjunction with notions of nobility and leadership. In the passage that this exhibit is presenting, Sekandar discovers from the Speaking Tree that he is going to die soon, in a land far away from his people and loved ones. He is devastated by this news, but is told by the tree that he should not only be accepting of his death, but also be grateful for the blessings that he has been given over the course of his reign, and not darken his legacy with a greedy heart before he dies. 

The tone and prose of this passage reveals a lot about the way Sekandar is characterized as a noble and worthy leader and king, particularly in the face of his apparent demise. The passage is centered upon Sekandar being faced with his own mortality, despite having been fortunate throughout his life and reign. The sudden proclamation of his imminent misfortune from a mythical being shocks him, and sends him into a depression in which he isolates himself from the others. However, the fact that he does pull himself out of his depression and moreover asks the interpreter to translate the tree for him further highlights his ability to face difficulties and accept the fates that higher beings have pressed onto him. The way that Sekandar speaks to the interpreter, with politeness and praise despite the bad news that he brings him, highlights his nobility in the face of hardship. 

The way that the speaking tree is characterized in the passage and narrative is interesting as well, from the way that its prophetic words are taken to the apparent characteristics that make the interpreter able or worthy of understanding what the tree is trying to convey. For example, the interpreter in the passage is characterized as being ‘pure of heart [and] noble’ (Ferdowsi, 200), which allows him to be able to speak to and understand the trees where Sekandar is apparently unable to. This implies a mythical quality to the tree that almost seems to act as a judge of morality, being able to judge whether or not someone is worthy of understanding them. In the face of this, Sekandar’s inability to understand them takes on another quality, implying that some aspect of him renders him unworthy of understanding the tree.

The quality of the tree itself as the 'monster' which is constructed as a figure of prophetic wisdom is also interesting, as the intertwining of the tree and the animal and human faces growing from it seems to highlight a sort of balance between humankind and nature, emphasising the ways that all beings come from and return to the earth. The tree is presented as a figure of duality, split between day and night, male and female, speaking and silent, and scented or odorless. This duality is apparent not only in its presentation but also in its very nature, as both a monster that brings fear with its words and a being of wisdom that Sekandar chooses to respect.