Maria the Prankster in Twelfth Night

Maria left a note in Lady Olivia's handwriting to convince Malvolio of the lady's secret affection.

So I just read Act 2, Scene 5, from Twelfth Night, and I have to say that I really admire Maria. Not many women in that time would have dared to play a prank on the chamberlain of the house, second in command to Lady Olivia herself. She's got guts!
I'd just like to take a quick look into her motives...
1. She hates Malvolio for being a jerk and a spoilsport. (Duh!)
2. He is extremely overbearing in how he exerts his authority over her and the rest of the household.
3. I imagine that Maria has a great respect for Lady Olivia, but where Malvolio is concerned, Lady Olivia's judgment seems to be lacking. Maria probably resents Malvolio's standing with Lady Olivia to a certain degree.
4. She knows how much Sir Toby and Sir Andrew hate Malvolio as well, so she has an appreciative audience.
5. In many ways, she is Malvolio's foil because in every way he is depressing and oppressive, she is the exact opposite.
6. She likes to have fun! She knows she'll get a good laugh out of a joke like this.
So there you have it. These reasons may seem obvious or even irrelevant, but I think they might come in handy later on.
Maria is brazen and energetic and totally appeals to us as Americans for that very reason.