Question

Lines 126–130: How do you know the Wife is educated? Why do you think Chaucer gave his Wife of Bath this trait

Answer 1

There are multiple instances in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales that show us that the Wife is in fact somewhat educated. One of such instances is when she compares one of the characters, the Knight, to Midas, a legendary king in Greek mythology who could turn everything he touched to gold. Her reference to Midas shows us that she has knowledge of history and mythology, therefore she is educated, at least to some extent.

The Wife is a mysterious character - she has traveled the world, experienced things, had five husbands, and has a variety of knowledge that other characters do not possess. Chaucer wanted to enhance her mysteriousness by giving her intelligence and education as well, to make the readers even more intrigued by this character.