Ticket to Hell hand-painted by Susan Falck on wood.
In literature, Hell is not always portrayed as a literal realm but instead serves as a metaphorical representation of human suffering and the consequences of one’s actions. This symbolic interpretation of Hell explores themes of guilt, remorse, and the human capacity for evil.
In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as eternal destinations, the biggest examples of which are Christianity and Islam, whereas religions with reincarnation usually depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations, as is the case in the Dharmic religions. Religions typically locate hell in another dimension or under Earth's surface. Other afterlife destinations include heaven, paradise, purgatory, limbo, and the underworld.