Young scholars explore how patterns and contrasts in language (diction, imagery, figurative language) reveal central ideas in texts and develop various motifs (light vs. dark, dreams vs. reality, high vs. low, etc.) in Romeo and Juliet. They come to understand how those motifs emphasize internal and external conflicts that result from love, hate, loyalty, and friendship. Students examine the extent to which characters' reactions to conflict and opposition dictate the outcomes of a situation and learn about the science and psychology behind the way teenagers think about choice, conflict, and consequence.