#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 watching it himself. 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'd absolutely sabotage the entire marriage and 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, but he'd never tolerate such a violation of his sister's honor because the situation isn’t just a petty insult to lucrezia, but also a personal insult to him and his family name as well !! he prioritizes personal honor and would react violently and immediately to any perceived slight against his family and disregard political consequences (including his father's wishes)

and then there's cesare who's more tender and caring toward lucrezia than juan ever was. but he prefers careful planning over recklessness, and as much as he desired to cut out the king of naples' heart, he ultimately prioritized ambition and public image even if it meant his sister's public humiliation. he suppressed his feelings, stood by his father, and allowed lucrezia to be publicly humiliated and witnessed it as a form of self punishment while feeling guilty for not standing up for her then left the situation unresolved. (traveled to france without taking action though he could have avenged her by plotting the king of naples' death but instead lucrezia took matters into her own hands by giving micheletto 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 on 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/humiliation could lead him to ruin everything for rodrigo. unlike cesare who aligns with their father's expectations and ambitions. he's strategic and consistently aware of their surroundings. basically cesare is rodrigo's ideal protege, embodying 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. he uses flawed methods to protect them which are rooted in his fixation on their honor rather than fulfilling the family's ideals !! therefore does not conform to their father's expectations and ambitions in the same way that cesare does.