History Main / YouAreWorthHell

** In the Middle-Earth universe, Elves are destined to remain in the world forever, whereas Men are fated to leave it forever after dying. Nobody knows where their souls go, although [[BigBad Morgoth]] tried to spread the belief that there's nothing beyond death. Several elves thought that facing the unknown was preferable to be parted from their mortal lovers.
*** In ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'', Lúthien chose becoming mortal to remain with Beren forever, even though it meant that she would get sick, she would get old and pass away, and remain apart from her kin forever.
*** Lúthien's fate is repeated with her great-granddaughter Arwen. At the end of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', she chooses to become a mortal out of love for Aragorn.
** While the notable examples of star-crossed lovers involve the immortal bidding their immortality away to be with their mortal lover, there's one exception: Elrond's parents, Eärendil and Elwing. Both are half-elves and could choose their fates. Eärendil was inclined to mortality, but he chose immortality so he could be with Elwing, who felt closer to her elven kind. For her part, Elwing [[IWillWaitForYou patiently waits for]] Eärendil whenever he comes close to the land during his daily journey (after the War of Wrath, he was tasked by the Valar to carry a Silmaril across the sky until the end of time).

** The elf Aegnor died and left behind a mortal lover, Andreth, who lived for some more time before she died and left the world forever. When the time came for Aegnor to reincarnate, he refused, because he didn't want to return to a world without Andreth in it, seeing the Halls as the closest he could go near her.

** While the notable examples of star-crossed lovers involve the immortal bidding their immortality away to be with their mortal lover, there's one exception: Elrond's parents, Eärendil and Elwing. Both are half-elves and could choose their fates. Eärendil was inclined to mortality, but he chose immortality so he could be with Elwing, who felt closer to her elven kind. For her part, Elwing [[IWillWaitForYou patiently awaits]] Eärendil whenever he comes close to the land during his daily journey (after the War of Wrath, he is tasked by the Valar to carry a Silmaril across the sky until the end of time).

** The elf Aegnor died and left behind a mortal lover, Andreth, who lived for some more time before she died and left the world forever. When the time came for Aegnor to reincarnate, he refused, because he didn't want to return to a world without Andreth in it, seeing the Halls as the closest he can go near her.

* ''Literature/TheShadowhunterChronicles'': Shadowhunters are not allowed to form romantic relationships with mundanes. If they insist on doing so, either the Shadowhunters must strip their Marks to become mundanes, or the mundanes undergo the Ascension ritual to become Shadowhunters. Both are ''very'' painful procedures (the Ascension ritual can be outright lethal, and is essentially a Russian roulette). Still, some choose to do so:
** Maryse Lightwood's brother, Max Trueblood, fell in love with a mundane girl, and chose to become a mundane so he could be with her.
** Edmund Herondale had his Marks stripped after falling in love with Linette Owens, a mundane heiress from Wales. His children were all born Shadowhunter, and two decided to rejoin the Shadow World.
** At the end of ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices'', mundane Sophie Collins undergoes the Ascension ritual so she can marry Gideon Lightwood.

** ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'': [[StarCrossedLovers Beren and Luthien]]. Luthien chose becoming mortal to remain with Beren forever, even though it meant that she would get sick, she would get old and pass away, and remain apart from her kin forever.
** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Nearly seventy centuries later Arwen also chose becoming mortal out of love for Aragorn.

* Referenced twice in the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' series, once in a chapter [[WordOfGod that didn't quite]] [[AllThereInTheManual make it in]]: Emmet says that he believed he was in {{Hell}} while transforming into a vampire, but Rosalie--his angel--meant it wasn't so bad. The second did; Edward thinks he's dead and either in heaven, since Bella's there, or hell, since [[ForbiddenFruit she smells the same.]] Upon thinking it's hell, but she's still there?

* ''Literature/TristanAndIseult'': Isolde, commits adultery, accepting eternal damnation in exchange for even temporary enjoyment of her love for Tristan. This story and the idea of [[ThePowerOfLove love being able to overcome even eternal torment]] is credited by many as being possibly the origin of the concept of romantic love in the Western world.

* In ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'', when Hodel hears that her fiancee Perchik has been arrested and sent to Siberia, she goes there to be with him.

** This is actually one interpretation of Hamlet's actions during the last act of the play. Up until then he had been obsessed with whether The Ghost he had seen was actually his father's spirit or a demon trying to lead him to damnation. So he goes to absurd lengths to prove Claudius guilt and stops himself from killing Claudius after he had gone to confession since killing him then would send his soul to heaven and damn him to hell. Then Ophelia drowns herself, something that under Catholic dogma was a one-way ticket to hell, and Hamlet throws caution to the wind in an almost SuicideByCop-level, the theory being that he is now able to avenge his father without having any pesky "right or wrong" considerations standing in the way, and once he dies he can reunite with Ophelia in hell.

* In ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'', when Rayek makes himself into a living prison for Winnowill' soul, Savah ''immediately'' follows him so that they can WalkTheEarth together for all eternity. Rayek is moved, but tells her she has no place in his new life. His mentor Ekuar follows him instead. It's also somewhat implied that Rayek trapping Winnowill inside him is not just to save the world, but also because he doesn't want to live without her -- even as her living prison, he loves her, and would rather suffer a living hell for all eternity than be without her.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': One potential ending for [[spoiler: Karlach has her return to the Hells to prevent her dying from the malfunctioning Infernal Engine that replaced her heart but this time either fellow companion Wyll or the [=PC=] or both can join her to keep her from being alone this time.]]

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': One potential ending for [[spoiler: Karlach has her return to the Hells to prevent her dying from the malfunctioning Infernal Engine that replaced her heart but this time either fellow companion Wyll or the [=PC=] or both joining her to keep her from being alone this time.]]

* From [[Music/Nickelback Nickelback's]] "Far Away":

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'', Mirage used a potion to turn Jasmine into a venomous naga and the party goes on a quest to cure her. They make it through all of the traps and hazards and Mirage, being a sore loser, causes the tree with the cure to wither. Just when Jasmine is lamenting her fate and telling her friends to leave her, Aladdin uses the same potion on himself, more than willing to be a monster if it means he can be with Jasmine. Fasir sees this as more than enough reason to foil Mirage's petty victory and restores the cure for them.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'', [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E84TheHunt "The Hunt"]]: A hunter approaches the gate of heaven, only to be told his dog can't come in with him. He walks away from the gate and up the road rather than abandon his dog. [[spoiler: Further up the road, he finds an angel sent to guide him to heaven; the gate he had passed before and refused out of love for his dog was actually the gate to hell. Apparently, dogs aren't allowed inside the gates of hell because they can see past the illusions.]]

* Inverted in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback Of Notre Dame}}'', when Frollo tries to force Esmeralda to choose between being with him or burning in Hell by having her burned at the stake. She spits in his face, making it abundantly clear that she would rather suffer an eternity in the blazes than a lifetime of sexual slavery.