Death of Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia)
Pope Alexander VI lies dying in his opulent Vatican bedchamber, surrounded by his son Cesare Borgia, Cardinal Carafa, a physician, and a servant. The atmosphere is tense as whispers of conspiracy and
Setting
The opulent papal apartments within the Vatican Palace, specifically the bedchamber of Pope Alexander VI. The room is adorned with rich tapestries and frescoes, with a large canopied bed as the centerpiece. Heavy drapes partially obscure the view of the bustling city of Rome beyond the windows.
Characters
Pope Alexander VI
primary
A corpulent man in his early 70s with a pallid, sweat-sheened face framed by thinning white hair. His once-commanding presence is diminished by illness, with sunken eyes and trembling hands that betray his failing strength. The infamous Borgia nose remains prominent despite his weakened state.
Cesare Borgia
primary
A tall, powerfully built man in his late twenties with sharp, angular features and piercing dark eyes. His olive complexion and black hair, worn slightly longer than fashionable, frame a face marked by both aristocratic refinement and military hardness. A faint scar runs along his left cheekbone, a souvenir from battlefield engagements.
Cardinal Carafa
secondary
A gaunt man in his late 60s with sharp, angular features and deep-set dark eyes that seem to miss nothing. His thin lips are perpetually pressed together in disapproval, and his pallid complexion suggests a life spent more in shadowed corridors than sunlight. His hands are long-fingered and slightly trembling with age, but his posture remains rigid.
Physician
secondary
A middle-aged man with a gaunt face, deep-set eyes shadowed by exhaustion, and a neatly trimmed beard streaked with grey. His hands are slender and precise, bearing the stains of medicinal herbs and powders. His posture suggests a lifetime of bending over patients and manuscripts.
Servant
background
A young man in his early twenties, slight of build with sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion. His hands are rough from labor, and his posture suggests habitual deference.
Dialog
Pope Alexander VI
Mio figlio... the testament... ensure Lucrezia's dowry is...
Cesare Borgia
Silence, Father. The physicians say agitation worsens your humors.
Cardinal Carafa
In articulo mortis, Holiness... perhaps the Viaticum should be administered?
Pope Alexander VI
Non... non yet, Carafa! Cesare—the Romagna garrisons must—
Cesare Borgia
Your Eminence forgets himself. My father's will governs his own soul's disposition.
Cardinal Carafa
As you say, Duke Valentinois. Though even kings answer to Divine Judgment.
Pope Alexander VI
Per inferos... this fever burns like... like the censer's coals...