How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Good," said Botticelli. "Do as I say and your life will be full of meaning. This is how to torture a prisoner: first, you must convince him that you are a friend. Listen to him. Encourage him to confess his sins. And when the time is right, talk to him. Tell him what he wants to hear. Tell him, for instance, that you will forgive him. This is a wonderful joke to play upon a prisoner, to promise forgiveness." (16.32)
Botticelli seems convinced that the only way to enjoy life as a rat is to torture prisoners by lying to them and using their weaknesses against them. This tells the reader how limited Botticelli's life really is, that he resorts to this as his only pleasure in life.
Quote #2
"Ha," said Botticelli, "ha-ha-ha! You gain his trust, you refuse him, and—ha-ha—you become what he knew you were all along, what you knew you were all along, not a friend, not a confessor, not a forgiver, but—ha-ha!—a rat!" Botticelli wiped his eyes and shook his head and sighed a sigh of great contentment. (16.35)
Botticelli seems to say that lying is part of rathood—you're just born to lie. But in this discussion with Roscuro, he's hypnotizing him as he tells him about lies and torture. So maybe that suggests that you have to be taught to lie; it doesn't come naturally, even to rats.
Quote #3
And as Mig went singing down the stairs of the dungeon, there appeared from the shadows a rat wrapped in a cloak of red and wearing a spoon on his head.
"Yes, yes," whispered the rat, "a lovely song. Just the song I have been waiting to hear." (31.6-7)
When Mig starts singing her song about being a princess, Roscuro realizes exactly how he can manipulate and lie to her in order to get her to do his evil bidding. People (or rats) who are liars always have to be on the lookout for good targets.