Why is Romeo and Juliet usually taught before Macbeth? I learned about R and J in elementary but didn't study Macbeth before Grade 12?

Maybe MacBeth is considered more X- rated -- for blood and gore and violence.

That's interesting. We learned both around the same time (6th grade). Our class definitely liked Macbeth a lot more. At least the guys did. Big surprise there. Your school(s) probably delayed teaching Macbeth because there's more violence and murder.

Both can be taught at different levels, thinking back to when I studied both at school, perhaps it is easier or more relevent to teach Romeo and Juliet on a more superfical level than Macbeth whilst holding the kids' interest. For young people, Romeo and Juliet is often the most known of his plays - so its a good introduction to Shakespeare. The level you were taught about it in elementary would clearly have been a very low, superfical, story telling one. Macbeth would have been in a little more detail due to the age - but then you can go on to study either one at university level. It just depends what the teacher wants you to get from it and learn from it, what class its taught in, what the central themes or topics are for that grade in that particular year.

More killing. And the occult. I's like movie rating.

Macbeth is harder