Frodo, Peter, and Dante: How Turning Over Failures Unlocks the Gates of Paradise
We are all translators when we translate our failures into triumphs.
When I first descended with Dante into the deepest pit of his Inferno, I was surprised. I thought there would be murderers there, but no — there are only three traitors: Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. All three are being endlessly chewed on by Lucifer who’s stuck in eternal ice.
But why traitors? What about betrayal makes it the worst possible sin in the eyes of a medieval poet? The Italian word for “betray” is “tradire.” “Tradire” means to “give over.” A traitor is the one who gives someone over. Surprisingly, there’s another Italian word that is closely related to “tradire” etymologically — “tradurre” — which means to “transfer, bring across, translate, or turn over.”
The difference between the two is subtle but vital. What Judas did was “tradire” — He betrayed Jesus. What Peter did was both “tradire” and “tradurre.” He betrayed and turned himself over to God.
Both Judas and Peter betrayed Jesus, but Judas gave him over only. Peter betrayed but then turned himself over to God. The betrayer who gives someone over and then turns himself over to God goes to heaven. The betrayer who gives someone over but doesn’t turn himself over to God goes to hell.
That’s why Tolkien insisted that Frodo Baggins didn’t fail in his quest even though he had succumbed to the power of the One Ring.
“Frodo indeed ‘failed’ as a hero, as conceived by simple minds: he did not voluntarily cast away the Ring. But it is possible that when you reflect on the matter, you will see that there was no other way... His humility (with which he began) and his suffering (which gradually reduced his power to resist) are precisely the things which enable him to finally defeat the Ring.” (Tolkien’s letters)
What is the difference between “tradire” and “tradurre”? The one who falls but does not have the humility to turn their failure over to a Higher Power falls into despair and ends up in the frozen Cocytus. The one who falls but has the humility to turn their failure over to a Higher Power ends up in heaven when embraced by that Higher Power.
That’s why Peter eagerly jumps into the water and swims to the shore in John 21, after Jesus calls them. He doesn’t carry the burden of his failure. He turned it over. And now Jesus embraces him by saying, “Feed my sheep.”
Frodo doesn’t feel crushed by his failure at Mount Doom. He has the humility to turn it over. When we tradire (betray) only, we are dragged down to hell. When we tradire and tradurre, we translate our failure into the ultimate blessedness. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
That’s why Frodo is overjoyed when he sees Gandalf in Rivendell after he has succumbed to the temptation to put on the Ring at Weathertop. He nearly killed himself. He knows it was absurd to put on the Ring, but Gandalf says:
“‘Do not worry! Though I said ‘absurd’ just now, I did not mean it. I think well of you – and of the others. It is no small feat to have come so far, and through such dangers, still bearing the Ring.’”
We are all translators when we translate our failures into triumphs. The moment we have the humility to turn them over, they become a ladder into Paradise. When our “tradire” becomes “tradurre,” we are in Heaven.
Jesus died (and rose!) for this.
We all fail which is to be human. There's no one here who hasn't failed God at some point. The meek(humble) will inherit the Earth--as they should.