The exact origins of the costume are unclear, as most depictions come from satirical writings and political cartoons.[19] The beaked plague doctor may have first been a fictional character in theater and inspired doctors to use the look for their costumes.[20] Depictions of the beaked plague doctor rose in response to superstition and fear about the unknown source of the plague.[21] Often, these plague doctors were the last thing a patient would see before death; therefore, the doctors were seen as a foreboding to death.