Juan, whose widowed mother is poor, grows up in Seville and defies her by setting out to become a toreador. Fame across Spain comes to him quickly, and he marries Carmen, the girl he has loved since childhood. Then he encounters Doña Sol, daughter of the Marquis, and is soon caught between his love for two women, a dilemma that puts both his family's security and his standing in society at risk. When chance finally brings him face to face with the notorious bandit Plumitas, Juan sees striking similarities between their lives.