Chronicle of a Death Foretold Lesson Plan

What defense do the Vicario twins use for their crime? What is the outcome of their trial? What does this tell us about society at the time?

After waiting in jail for three years, the twins are given their trial. The lawyer defending them offers the thesis that their crime was committed in the legitimate defense of honor. The court upholds this defense as do the Vicario twins, who state that they would have done it a thousand times over for the same reason. The twins being absolved of their crime demonstrates how important the concept of honor was in society during that time. The brothers don't even necessarily want to kill Santiago, but they feel bound by duty to do...