Traditional/Modern Tragedy

Hi anp, welcome to a2k.

Here's a link that talks about Aristotle's definition of tragedy. (I'm guessing that's what your teacher means by traditional tragedy.)

Modern tragedy is going to be harder to define.

Here are two dictionary definitions of tragedy. I think that the first one is more typical of Greek tragedy, and the second is more modern.

A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.

A play, film, television program, or other narrative work that portrays or depicts calamitous events and has an unhappy but meaningful ending.