Final answer:
In "The Sniper," the killings of the man and woman are portrayed as necessary within the context of the Irish Civil War, where characters must make severe choices for survival and out of allegiance to their cause, illustrating the harsh realities of war.
Step-by-step explanation:
The necessity to kill the man and woman in "The Sniper" is anchored within the story's setting, which is the Irish Civil War—a conflict characterized by heavy political and social tensions leading to extreme actions, such as killing for one's beliefs or survival. The characters in the story are caught up in the violence of their environment, and the deaths occur as a result of the sniper's duty to his side in the war as well as the immediate threat the other characters pose to him. The story illustrates how war can distort human relationships and moral judgments, resulting in tragic outcomes.
In the case of the woman, she is killed by the sniper because she's considered an enemy informant who poses a direct threat, highlighting the dire circumstances and the drastic measures taken during wartime. Similarly, the death of the opposing sniper, revealingly, a brother of the protagonist, underscores the profound personal costs of war and questions the very nature of duty and loyalty.