Hamartia can be defined as a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine. In Frankenstein, the hamartia of the novel is the creation of Frankenstein's monster. Frankenstein believed that the wonder of his creation would last forever, however, he abandoned all interest in the project when he laid eyes on the monster. His exile of the monster caused it to have severe abandonment issues, leading to it killing people close to Frankenstein, and eventually playing an indirect role in his death. One thing is for sure. If Frankenstein had not gone overboard with his quest for knowledge and created the monster, none of this would have happened. This is an example of how the quest for science and intellect can negatively affect someone, one of the key points Shelley tried to imply in this novel.