Shakespeare Comedies: The Merchant of Venice (1980)

This comedy-drama follows two connected stories about love, money, and fairness. Gemma Jones plays Portia, a wealthy woman whose father sets difficult conditions for her marriage, demanding potential husbands prove themselves. Warren Mitchell is Bassanio, who is drawn to Portia but faces a financial crisis and borrows money from the harsh moneylender Shylock. If Bassanio can't repay the loan, his friend Antonio will have to give up a pound of his body. As these characters deal with their problems and desires, the story explores societal expectations and what it means to be human, using Shakespeare’s clever and perceptive style.