Emma’s post raises the question of how Sir Toby and Maria’s coupling makes sense when other couplings necessitate an equal social status. I wonder how much of that has to do with Sir Toby’s gender, that perhaps marrying below one’s status as a woman is more problematic due to her limited agency in society. Especially for Olivia, who as a result of her father and brother’s death must fulfill both her role as a daughter and as the sole ruler of her family’s fortunes, marrying below her status would be especially problematic. Furthermore, because Sir Toby has relatively little power in the family’s fortunes, especially after Olivia marries, his actions could possibly be under far less scrutiny and therefore his marriage to Maria is less controversial.