#because juan was kinda like a more traditional aggressive and honor bound masculinity while cesare was more controlled

[borgialucrezia]

hot take but juan would never have allowed lucrezia to be maritally raped in front of others while he watched. given how impulsive and reckless he is especially when any man outside his family is near his mother or sister (let alone when a man demands public humiliation of his sister), he might even kill the king of naples the moment he utters lucrezia's name with zero regard for "the good of the family." despite his concern for status and his obsession with meeting expectations to gain his father's approval, he would never tolerate such a violation of his sister's honor. because the situation isn’t just a petty insult to lucrezia but it's also a deeply personal insult to him. juan prioritizes personal honor and would react violently and immediately to any perceived slight against his family, disregarding political consequences (including his father's wishes.)

and then there's cesare, who is more tender and caring toward lucrezia than juan ever was. but he prefers careful planning over recklessness. as much as he desired to cut out the king of naples' heart, he ultimately prioritized his ambition to remain in his father's good graces hoping to gain control of the papal army even at the cost of his sister's public humiliation. he suppressed his feelings, stood by his father and allowed lucrezia to be humiliated while witnessing it as a form of self punishment while silently grappling with guilt for not standing up for her. lucrezia felt betrayed by the person she trusted most because she believed that cesare owed her the rage and protectiveness she desperately desired against the man who had made her feel violated. yet he left the situation unresolved and traveled to france to get married without taking action even though he could have avenged her by plotting the king of naples' death. instead, lucrezia took matters into her own hands by giving micheletto her approval to act.

and no this post isn't about who loved and cared for lucrezia more (since both brothers failed her in different ways). instead it's about how juan has always been an unstable fuck up who's destined to fall short of the family's expectations. his impulsiveness in situations where the family faces personal harm or humiliation could ruin everything for rodrigo. unlike cesare who aligns with their father's expectations and ambitions, juan lacks strategy and consistent awareness of their surroundings. it's why cesare is essentially their father's ideal protégé because he embodies everything their father ever desired in a son.

in juan's case, his actions have always been driven by a desire for his family's acknowledgment and love but he always uses flawed methods to protect them. methods rooted in his fixation on their honor rather than in fulfilling the family's ideals. this is why almost every attempt he makes has a tragic outcome and why he doesn't conform to their father's expectations and ambitions in the same way cesare does.