In the title “The Crucible”, the theme that revolves
around in Act III is Justice vs Retribution and Revenge. It has to do with knowing
who will illustrate innocence and guilt. Proctor makes one desperate bid for
this authority by finally overcoming his desire to protect his good name, exposing
his own secret sin. He exposes his private life to scrutiny, hoping to gain
some authority, but he does not realize that too many influential people have
invested energy into the proceedings for him to be able to stop them now.