Within Horner’s chapter of Saint Lives,” it is noted that “When [Margaret] rejects the torturer’s advances, he responds by graphic threats of violence…” It is also stated that, “as [Margaret] prays to maintain her virginity, however, her literal body is being pierced and lacerated, literally opened up so horrifically…” What about Olybryus seems familiar from previous readings, particularly from Kate Manne’s Down Girl? What does the king’s focus on Margaret’s body and Margaret’s lack of concern for her mortal body say about each of them?
Medieval Feminism
ENGL 361 and WGST 322 | Spring 2020 | Dr. Myra Seaman
Olybryus reminds me a lot of the Isla Vista killings, because the shooter is so angry at a women simply because he can’t have them. When Margaret rejects the torturers advances, he grows more and more angry and violent because he can’t have her the way he wants to, which is similar to the thought process the shooter seemed to have in the Isla Vista killings. The king’s focus on Margarets body says a lot about the male gaze and the lack of autonomy that men granted women during this time period (and still do today). She is seen as solely a sexual being, and is being completely objectified due to her body. She is seen only for her body, and not because she is a living, breathing person. Margaret’s lack of concern for her mortal body says a lot about her faith and her belief in a higher power. This could be an escape for her in the sense that once she has left her mortal body behind, her heavenly body will prevail and she will no longer have to deal with the objectifications that come her way from men and the patriarchy.
Olybryus is very reflective of Manne’s chapter in her book about the threatening of women to make them bend to the will of men. He becomes aggressive and violent because Margaret refuses him. He tortures her, hoping to force the answer he wants out of her and when he doesn’t, he orders for her to be tortured more. Margaret is depicted as very holy and will do nothing to betray Jesus Christ. In terms of her body, I think Margaret thinks it is not important, as it is her soul that will go to heaven. This aspect of the laugh of her concern for her body strengthens the idea that she is very spiritual. Olybryus’s focus on her body shows his agressive and possessive nature. This tells us a lot about how he thinks of women in general.
Olybryus is focused on the physical world and thinks that her beauty or physicality is the source of Margaret’s strength. His gods are really idols, stone statues, grounded in the tangible world. He thinks he can convince Margaret to marry him by offering her physical items like fine food, rich clothing, and money. Because of his firm belief in what he can see, hold, touch, etc, he assumes the way to break Margaret down is to destroy and damage her physical form.
Margaret, on the other hand, is concerned completely with the spiritual and conceptual. She see her body and the earthly world as something completely temporal. Margaret, having great faith in the things she cannot see or touch, will not remain tied to her mortal form. Because of her firm belief in scripture, Margaret knows her soul exists in the metaphysical and thus does not care for her physical body.