Twelfth Night Act II

Something that I found very interesting in Act II of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is how Malvolio's attempt to raise his status is evident at the very beginning of the show. It is shown during the scene when Maria, Sir Toby, Feste, and Sir Andrew are downstairs, drunk and causing a ruckus in the middle of the night. This scene is very interesting to me in the fact that not only is this the beginning of Malvolio's downfall but it also shows how Malvolio thinks that his social status is higher than it really is.
This act of raising his status or not being in the correct mind to understand his status is the fact that he enters the room and states "My masters" (Act 2 Scene 3, 80). By using the term "masters" Malvolio has set up his social rank in comparison to the others that he is going to address. He notes that they are superior, at least Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, and by doing this he notes that he is inferior and yet he proceeds to take control and to make himself uplifted in his speech. He proceeds then to take control and to scold those he just claimed as a masters. Here Shakespeare is shaping Malvolio's character and setting up the audience for his fall. Because he believes that he can make those higher then him inferior and thus make himself  superior Shakespeare is drawing on the Puritan idea that they make things up for themselves. Malvolio believes that he is helping his lady and so in essence helping himself. Because he starts off and shapes his entire scolding around Olivia he believes that he is justified in what he is doing and what he saying against those higher than him.
Shakespeare uses this scene in order to put Malvolio's folly into a more prominent light later once he reads the letter written by Maria. Even though it is a sad thing that they did to him in a sense Shakespeare makes it justified in the fact that he brings it on himself. Malvolio frustrates those of higher ranking and so earns their wrath. It is an interesting idea that he causes his own downfall and yet demands vengeance against them.
This is a really interesting scene to me that is important for the rest of the show and the rest of sub plot of Malvolio, Maria, Sir Toby, Feste, and Sir Andrew.