# Lord Summerhays — Misalliance character guide

> Lord Summerhays in Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Summerhays, Bentley, young Bentley, Lord Summerhays Shaking, Lord Summerhays Do, Lord Summerhays Shuddering, Lord Summerhays Rising, Lord Summerhays Severely, Lord Summerhays Surprised, Lord Summerhays Shrinking, Bentley Help, Bentley Summerhays, Bentley Terrified, Bentley Pale

**First appearance:** 0000-misalliance

## Snapshot

An elderly peer and Bentley's father, whose weary diplomatic habit of smoothing over arguments masks a lifetime of having seen every position defeated by its opposite.

## Who they are

Lord Summerhays arrives at the Tarleton house as the father of Hypatia's prospective fiancé, a man whose title lends social weight to a match otherwise rooted in underwear money. His son Bentley needles him relentlessly, and his mild, philosophical manner is both a shield and a symptom of a man who has stopped expecting arguments to conclude. He matters because his presence raises the question of whether aristocratic polish can survive contact with the Tarletons' raw commercial energy.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_social_

Lord Summerhays is an aristocratic figure whose polite but pointed remarks are recorded by the narrator.

### [Tarleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/characters/tarleton)

_social_

Lord Summerhays is a polite acquaintance of Tarleton, engaging in witty banter and social commentary.

### [Johnny Tarleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/characters/johnny_tarleton)

_social_

Johnny and Lord Summerhays interact with polite formality, though Johnny is often dismissive of the aristocrat's views.

## In the story

### [Misalliance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/chapters/misalliance)

Reveals his insecurities and childhood experiences.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/characters/lord_summerhays
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/misalliance_se/characters