Hell is something revealed by God. As soon as the soul has suffered enough, it is thought that worthiness for salvation is realized. This is not true however. When the individual dies, the condition in which he died is fixed, with no change being possible. There is NO evidence that our character can be altered after we die.
Purgatory is a myth.
Hell, on the other hand, is very real. It is a place where those who remained unreconciled to God are consigned. It is a place where recovery is not possible, and is eternal. You may remember the account Jesus gave of the rich man and Lazarus. He saw Lazarus with Abraham, and asked if he could be sent to touch his tongue with some water.