Chimes at Midnight (1965)

Henry IV usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur. Henry's heir, Prince Hal, is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff. To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.

Chimes at Midnight keeps every mind human — it fights its subject at zero distance. The story fights on E8/E10/E12 of the E0–E14 reality ladder, compressing power, authority, tradition, war, loyalty.