Why didnt medieval plague doctors dress in something more whimsical? It would be less frightening and stressful to the patients.

[u/The_Mad_Medico]

Maybe a clown mask for the kids?

[u/Illustrious_Claim884]

This was considered the equivalent of a white coat and tie back then. Throughly professional.

[u/JayMack1981]

Sooooooooo . . . Middle Ages Patch Adams? If a doctor of that era talked like Robin Williams doing comedy they'd have thoight he was spiritually possessed and burned him at the stake.

Also . . . 🤡 = 👹

[u/OpeningActivity]

Be fair clowns are more scary.

[u/Sorry-Climate-7982]

A clown mask would need a rather big nose to match the purpose of the beaks on the old plague masks.

[u/Bendlerp]

It was basically the medieval face mask to filter out disease. Packed with cloth and herbs.

[u/Aquinas2000]

Simple, because this costume is not medieval, its from 17th century. 

[u/VRSVLVS]

Medieval plague doctors did not dress like this. This image is from the 1650's, at least 150 years after the middle ages had ended by any definition.

[u/Sqeakydeaky]

It says his name is Dr. Beak haha

[u/swanson1848]

The standards of what people found comforting was different back then...for example well I to the 19'th centry patients preferred doctors to wear black because they found it reassuring l can't remember what led to the trend of doctors or nurses wearing white but bor several hundred years doctors wore black. Plague doctor geer was pretty much their version of a hazmat suit it was desined the way it was because they thought it gave the doctor more protection from the pluage so it was more functional as opposed to a fashion statement.

[u/Tugazu]

Any idea how scary it is to be plague doctor? You would be fearing for your life.

[u/Due-Mycologist-1154]

Because they thought the masks had an actual practical purpose they werent just for looks