THESIS STATEMENT The Greek underworld can be a dark place, especially for those who have angered the gods, where one can see how the punishments often fit the crime.PURPOSE STATEMENT In this research paper the underworld is described as a dark place where those who have committed crimes are punished for their crimes, which can be extremely brutal. INTRODUCTION The Underworld is often described as just a dark place for criminals, and it is, but it is where everyone goes after death. “The souls of the dead who carried an ancient Greek coin in their mouths were ferried across another underground river, the Styx, by Charon, to begin eternity as citizens of his dark kingdom. Those who didn't have a coin remained complaining on the riverbank." (Evans 16). The Underworld is where everyone spends the rest of their afterlife. It was a harsh place and there was no escape. Each person was judged when they entered. "Osiris became king and judge of the dead in the underworld." (Ingpen, Perham 18).The Erinyes or Furies are those who punish people who have committed a crime. Virgil is the one who places them where they go. “The Erinyes – or the Furies – were regarded by some poets as his [Hades'] daughters, and three (or sometimes four) of them are often shown standing beside his throne. They were fearsome in appearance, often dressed in blood-soaked black cloaks... especially those who killed their own relatives. (Allen 52-3). The Erinyes ruled with the god of the underworld, Hades. He was the god who controlled everything that happened in the Underworld. “Hades was seen as a dark and unattractive god, hard-hearted and merciless.” (Allen 52). Hades wasn't always the kindest god to be around. But he was... middle of paper... pinging from them. They spent the rest of their lives tormented. The underworld has different meanings. It's not just a place of punishment. It's the afterlife for everyone. The underworld is where people go after death. There are different ways to deal with it depending on the life that person has lived. They have to navigate through different rivers. When they arrive, they are sent to be judged on where they will spend their time in the underworld. If they have not lived a good life they will be punished for it. If they have lived a good life, they go to a place that is like heaven. Some people who have committed serious crimes are immediately sent down and tortured for all eternity. The underworld cannot always be just a place for those who did not live as they should have, but also a place for those who lived the life they should have lived..