- Gennaro, the son of Lucretia Borgia, lives unaware of the identity of his mother, who has married the Duke of Ferrara. After Lucretia's brother is killed by five conspirators, the fathers of Gennaro's dearest friends, Lucretia tortures the old men to death. Later, Gennaro and his companions journey to Lucretia's domain, and she sees her son for the first time. The Duke, who believes him to be her lover, poisons him, but Lucretia administers the antidote in time and saves his life. Then she schemes to poison her sons' five friends for their fathers' mistake. She succeeds in poisoning them all at a dinner at which Gennaro is an uninvited guest. In dismay, she pleads for him to take the antidote, but he refuses and in a fury avenges his friends by stabbing Lucretia. As he lies dying, he learns that she was his mother.
- Lucretia Borgia, wife of the Duke of Ferrara, is generally regarded by historians as a woman of unmixed evil influences. In "The Eternal Sin" another side of her character is shown. A powerful clique is determined to overcome her power and to this end five conspirators arrange the assassination of her brother. The brother succeeds in reaching his sister's palace before he dies and gives the names of his murderers. Lucretia takes vengeance after the manner of the period and they are tortured to death. Five relatives of these men take oath of vengeance upon Lucretia. Lucretia asks her secretary to locate a youth named Gennaro. Through his help Lucretia finds the young man one day asleep on a bench in the park. When he awakes she addresses him affectionately but keeps a mask over her face and refuses to tell him who she is. Just then Lucretia's five enemies arrive, tear off her mask and tell Gennaro that she is Lucretia Borgia. She has a deep interest in the young man and swears to avenge herself upon the young men for thus humiliating her. Meanwhile the Duke of Ferrara has witnessed the scene and believes Gennaro to be her lover. Following Gennaro he sees the young man," enraged by his companions' deception of the murdering of their relatives by Lucretia, deface the name "Borgia" on the Palace. The Duke tells Lucretia that he has discovered the man who has insulted her and she, still in a rage, demands his death. The Duke has Gennaro brought in and orders Lucretia to pour a goblet of poisoned wine for him. When unable to extricate herself from the predicament she submits, and the Duke leaves them, satisfied that he is revenged. Lucretia forces an antidote upon Gennaro, who is bewildered by the circumstances and mystery and tells him to fly from Ferrara. Still bent upon her revenge on the five friends of Gennaro, Lucretia arranges a banquet through the aid of a friend of the Princess Negroni, to which the youths are invited. They induce Gennaro to accompany them. At the banquet poisoned wine is served to the unsuspecting guests and as they feel the effects coming over them they hear the sound of an old man's voice chanting a litany for the dead. Curtains are drawn back and they see five coffins, each bearing the name of one of them. When Lucretia enters Gennaro steps forward and demands of her why no coffin has been provided for him. She screams and asks him if he still has the antidote; he produces the phial and asks if there is enough for his friends. She tells him there is barely enough for one and he dashes it to the floor. He stabs her with his dagger, whereupon she gasps out her life secret, that she is his mother, and he sinks beside her body as the poison takes effect.
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