Inferno Respect and Reputation Quotes Page 2

In the mud of the Fifth Circle, Virgil points out how different the standards of fame are in the afterlife. His message seems to be that those who garner the most fame and prestige in the mortal world do so by wicked means and thus will have no such stature in Hell, but will be reduced to a position of low bestiality, like "pigs in slime."

With his florid style of speech, Pier della Vigna’s bid for a commemoration comes across as desperate and petty.

In alignment with his denial of the immortal soul, Latini desires immortality in the only way he knows how, through the survival of his literary works. Thus, he asks Dante to value his poem and to bring it to the attention of the living.