Exit, pursued by a bear
Meaning
The phrase denotes a sudden, dramatic, or absurd departure or an unexpected, often comical, predicament.
Origin
Imagine the hushed theatre, the dramatic tension of Antigonus abandoning the infant Perdita on a desolate Bohemian shore under a cruel royal decree. Suddenly, Shakespeare's stage directions deliver a punchline that has immortalized a moment: "Exit, pursued by a bear." In Act 3, Scene 3 of The Winter's Tale, this shocking, precise, and utterly unexpected instruction sends the character fleeing for his life, providing one of the most famously abrupt and comically terrifying exits in all of drama. This single, vivid line captures the play's chaotic shifts and the stark brutality of fate, leaving audiences simultaneously gasping and chuckling at its sheer audacity.
Examples
- After a long, rambling speech, the speaker seemed to exit, pursued by a bear, quickly leaving the stage without taking questions.
- My boss just dropped a huge, impossible project on my desk, then left for vacation, making me feel like I’d been told to exit, pursued by a bear.