"Befall" combines "be-" with "fall," creating a verb meaning to happen or occur, particularly regarding events that affect people—fortunes befall heroes, misfortunes befall victims. The term carries implications of inevitability or fate, as what befalls seems to descend upon one rather than being chosen. Poets employed "befall" when describing destiny, providence, or chance events that shape characters' lives. Its use often introduces uncertainty—"whatever may befall"—or retrospection—"all that befell." The word's association with falling suggests passivity before events beyond control, making it appropriate for themes of fate versus free will. Its archaic dignity suited narrative poetry where events' weight and consequence required formal expression. The term remains comprehensible while lending antique elevation to descriptions of occurrence and outcome.

Befall is particularly common in epic poetry, biblical translations, and prophetic or fate-driven narratives. Its impersonal construction ("what befell him") emphasizes the passive reception of events rather than active agency, making it invaluable for discussing deterministic worldviews in literature. Shakespeare employs it throughout his tragedies to suggest inevitable doom. The term typically governs misfortune more than good fortune, though not exclusively. Often appears in conditional constructions: "whatever may befall." Related to "befallen" (past participle). Essential for analyzing passages dealing with destiny, providence, or the human condition under cosmic forces. Compare with "betide" which is interchangeable in many contexts.