Simon Boccanegra

Paolo, a plebeian in Genoa, wants to make Simon Boccanegra the new doge and wrest power away from the patrician aristocracy. Simon agrees to become a candidate for doge in hopes of receiving permission to marry Maria, the daughter of a noble patrician family. However, imprisoned by her father Fiesco, Maria has already died of an illness. Simon asks Fiesco for permission to marry Maria. While concealing Maria’s death, Fiesco asks Simon to give him the daughter he shares with Maria, but the child has vanished. Having turned away from Fiesco, Simon sees the body of his beloved.

25 years later. Simon’s daughter, Maria, has been adopted by the Grimaldi family and renamed Amelia Grimaldi. She has been raised by Fiesco, who now goes by the name Andrea Grimaldi. Amelia’s lover Gabriele says that he wants to marry Amelia and that he doesn’t care that she was an orphan. When hearing about Amelia’s situation, the doge, Simon, realizes that Amelia is his missing daughter, and the father and daughter are reunited. Paolo also wants to marry Amelia but is refused by Simon. Paolo decides to kidnap Amelia. Gabriele kills the man who kidnapped Amelia, causing violence to erupt, and is brought before the council with Andrea. Gabriele denounces Simon as the culprit behind it all and attacks him. But Amelia, who has escaped, takes control of the situation. Simon admonishes everyone and arrests the pair. Ordered by Simon to curse the true criminal, Paolo trembles with fear as he curses himself.

Filled with hatred for Simon, Paolo puts poison in water intended for him and urges Andrea to kill Simon, but he refuses. But then, intrigued by Paolo and convinced that Simon had been toying with Amelia, Gabriele calls for his death. Hiding an infuriated Gabriele, Amelia asks Simon to pardon her lover. After drinking the water, Simon loses consciousness. Gabriele attacks, but apologises when he realises that Amelia is Simon’s real daughter. Gabriele turns to confront the uprising that has taken place against the doge.

Peace returns to Genoa, and Paolo, who had joined in the uprising, is arrested. A distant wedding song is audible, and the dying Simon thinks of the sea. When Fiesco visits, Simon is finally enjoying peaceful, happy days, and tells Fiesco that Amelia is his granddaughter. Simon dies after naming Gabriele as his successor.