Would you have married him while Bertha still lived?

Also that is one of the things he loved about her. If she would have stayed and been his mistress, would he have kept on loving her? Remember the women, he was involved with before. That is a question you should consider. 😁

For personal integrity, Jane Eyre is a great role model. I love and admire this character. But that said, in the 19th century - uh, I get the impression that a young penniless woman wondering around deserted moors and isolated villages could easily end up dead - or worse. It's not like there were a bunch social service programs around for the homeless. Quite honestly, besides being in love, that would be an equal consideration for me - being poor and destitute when I could be safe and secure and fed. Not sure I would risk death for my virtue, especially when it's not like I'd be killing anyone by being with Rochester. These aren't the best or most noble sentiments but they're honest. I probably wouldn't actually marry him because that would be the biggest lie, but I'd probably go to France with him where we could pretend to be married and I doubt my conscience would bother me much about it.

Truth be told, if any marriage should have been annulled, it was Rochester's. Basically his life was ruined by arbitrary British law, not some law of God's. I say this because Bertha didn't suddenly go mad some time after they married - although I think this adaptation made out like she did which I didn't like. In the book her family knew she was nuts, hid it and tricked him, plus his father pressured his young son into this marriage for material gain. There was nothing binding about those vows but perishable man-made paper.

Edited to add: Perhaps Rochester meant she showed her insanity soon after the marriage ceremony but he stayed with her for four years after that without wandering. It's been a while since I read the book actually so I'm no longer sure exactly how he explained it.