早年

魏忠賢出生於隆慶二年正月三十日（1568年2月27日），是個左撇子，年少時家境貧窮，混跡於街頭，不識字，但精通射箭，懂得騎馬，喜歡賭博，迷戀飲酒、嫖妓，好與人嬉笑。人們稱他為「傻子」。他事實上有自己的決斷，但是喜歡猜忌，更喜歡別人對他阿諛奉承。後為賭債所逼，只好棄妻賣女，且見太監在遊樂場所出手闊綽，決意入宮做宦官，相傳魏忠賢是在賭場被人追債毆打時，才取刀自宮，野史相傳刀子只割到衣服，因此仍然是個健全的男人，因與後宮佳麗熟識結好，得以通融。

入宮後改名李進忠。在宮中結交太子宮太監王安，得其所助。後又結識皇長孫朱由校乳母客氏，與之對食。對皇長孫，則極盡諂媚事，引誘其宴遊，甚得其歡心。

泰昌元年（1620年），朱由校即位，是為熹宗，賜名忠賢，升為司禮監秉筆太監（實際工作的是王體乾）。

東林黨爭

當時東林黨人士吏部尚書趙南星，在朝廷中排斥反對派，于是非東林派憤而結交魏忠賢。1624年，魏忠賢遭到楊漣的彈劾，但逃過一劫，于是開始大規模迫害鎮壓東林黨人士，並收集東林黨名錄，製作《點將錄》《天鑒錄》。天啟五年（1625年），東林黨的左光斗、楊漣、周起元、周順昌、繆昌期等東林六君子因熊廷弼事件一案遭到彈劾，魏忠賢趁機大肆搜捕東林黨人。但也有人認為，這是出于熹宗的授意，而非魏忠賢矯旨。天啟六年，魏忠賢又逼死了高攀龍、殺害了周宗建、黃尊素、李應升等東林七賢，東林書院被全部拆毀，講學亦告中止。東林黨在北京朝廷中顯露了的勢力幾乎被消滅，時東林「纍纍相接，駢首就誅」，但東林黨根基深厚，在北京未露面的勢力仍然遠遠超過反對者的力量，並且東林黨南方的力量幾乎未被觸動，這也是日後崇禎登基後東林黨反撲的力量來源。

魏忠賢與皇帝乳母客氏結成政治同盟，從而極受皇帝寵信，人稱「九千歲」（意謂在號稱千歲的親王之上，近於號稱萬歲的皇帝），有些人乾脆叫他「九千九百歲」「舉朝阿諛順指者但拜為乾父，行五拜三叩頭禮，口呼九千九百歲爺爺。」自己也在民間養了不少義子，如五虎、五彪、十狗、十孩兒、四十孫等。自內閣、六部至四方總督、巡撫，遍置死黨，在其全盛時期，各地官吏阿諛奉承，紛紛為他設立生祠，薊遼總督閻鳴泰建生祠於薊州、密雲、昌平、通州、涿州、河間、保定，宣大總督張樸建生祠於宣府、大同。天啟五年（1625年）賜魏忠賢「顧命元臣」印。魏廣微、顧秉謙、劉志選、曹欽程、王紹徽、霍維華、閻鳴泰、賈繼春、田爾耕、許顯純等大臣，將政權拱手相讓，甘心淪為幫兇，道德與氣節淪喪，時人譏為「門生宰相」、「魏家閣老」。天啟六年十月，袁崇煥疏頌魏忠賢；天啟七年四月七日，袁崇煥請立生祠。魏忠賢六十大壽，「天下督撫、總鎮競投密獻、異寶、諛詞。廷臣自三公、九卿……稱觴者，衣紫拖金，填街塞戶。金卮玉斝，鐫姓雕名，錦屏繡障，稱功頌德」，第一位提出建生祠的是浙江巡撫潘汝禎。

身敗名裂

天啟七年（1627年）熹宗病危，召見信王朱由檢說「吾弟當為堯舜」，又說「忠賢宜委用」，並召諭廷臣說，魏忠賢等「皆恪謹忠貞、可計大事。」黃立極等對曰：「陛下任賢勿貳，諸臣敢不仰體？」信王素厭惡閹黨專權，不為魏忠賢所容，常稱病不朝。據說魏忠賢曾與兵部尚書崔呈秀密謀政變，不料呈秀膽小驚慌說：「恐外有義兵。」是年八月二十三日，熹宗駕崩，無子，遺命由弟朱由檢繼位，年號崇禎。不久嘉興貢生錢嘉徵彈劾魏忠賢十大罪狀：一並帝；二蔑后；三弄兵；四無二祖列宗；五剋削藩封；六無聖；七濫爵；八掩邊功；九傷民財；十通關節。崇禎召魏忠賢至殿上，命宦官當眾宣讀錢嘉徵奏疏，忠賢面如土色，以重金拜託皇帝身邊的老宦官徐應元求情。徐勸他辭職，於是忠賢請辭獲准。

同年十一月一日，詔忠賢至鳳陽看顧皇室祖墳，魏忠賢在鳳陽途中，仍豢養一批亡命之徒，崇禎聞後大怒，命錦衣衛前去逮捕，押回京師審判。李永貞得知消息，連忙派人密報魏忠賢。魏忠賢自知難逃一死，在阜城南關尤氏旅店與同夥李朝欽痛飲至四更，最後懸樑自盡。據記載，當晚有書生夜宿魏忠賢所住旅館，作歌譏諷魏忠賢，促使魏忠賢選擇自殺。

忠賢屍體被挖出後，任人千刀萬剮。思宗下令清查「閹黨逆案」。一共清查出首逆同謀六人，交結近侍十九人，交結近侍次等十一人，逆孽軍犯三十五人，諂附擁戴軍犯十五人，交結近侍又次等一百二十八人，祠頌四十四人，共計二百五十八人，再加上漏網之魚五十七人，共計三百一十五人。忠賢的情婦客氏、忠賢侄魏良卿俱被殺。

影視形象

1993年台視《大太監與小木匠》乾德門飾

1993年電影《刺客新傳之殺人者唐斬》倪大紅飾

1996年電視劇《新龍門客棧(電視劇)》 李立群飾

2002年電視劇《英雄 (2002年電視劇)》劉威飾

2006年電視劇《三揭皇榜》王剛飾

2007年GZTV電視劇《大明天下》王繪春飾

2014年電影《繡春刀 (電影)》金士傑飾

2014年電影《白髮魔女傳之明月天國》倪大紅飾

2017年TVB電視劇《超時空男臣》何廣沛飾

2017年電影《繡春刀II：修羅戰場》金士傑飾

軼聞

魏忠賢篤信佛教，時常禮敬名僧，跟秋月、大謙等知名禪師有來往。也包括了飲酒食肉，為人勢利的碧雲寺詩僧。

朱長祚在《玉鏡新譚》中稱魏忠賢「形質豐偉，言辭佞利」，擅長唱歌、奏樂、圍棋、蹴球，而熹宗是個木工天才，喜歡引繩削墨，「每營造得意，即膳飲可忘，寒暑罔覺」。魏忠賢總是趁他沉浸于匠人之樂時去奏事，見此，熹宗不耐煩，總是隨口說：「朕已悉矣，汝輩好為之。」魏忠賢逐漸專擅朝政。

明代馮夢龍撰《燕都日記》記載，李自成攻陷北京前夕，大廈將傾之際，崇禎帝念及魏忠賢昔日的事功，在太監曹化淳建議下，收葬魏忠賢的遺骸于香山碧雲寺（後于康熙四十年，即1701年被搗毀）。但《明史》、《崇禎長編》和《崇禎實錄》等明朝正史均未見相關記載，此說的真實性存疑。

評價

在由中國文史學者劉繼興和劉秉光所著的《歷史上那些帝王們》一書中認為：「平心而論，魏忠賢為鞏固個人權勢，未免有黨同伐異、殘忍歹毒的罪惡一面，但從他曾經力排眾議、大膽起用遼陽戰敗後遭受讒言的熊廷弼，不徇私情、果斷罷免寧錦一戰中畏縮不出的袁崇煥，曾拋開私怨、違心推薦趙南星、孫承宗等一批能臣直臣等諸多方面，可以看出他還是心繫國家、講求原則的。魏忠賢主政期間，國內形勢良好，遼東局勢平穩，這層能力、這種魄力、這份功績，還是應該被認同和肯定的。」

但這種說法與史料記載有出入：

• 熊廷弼是被劉一燝與江秉謙力薦才得以複用，最後也恰是因魏忠賢迫害而遭殺害；

• 趙南星為「東林三君」之一，雖曾被魏忠賢雅重及在熹宗面前稱讚，但並不接受魏忠賢拉攏，終被魏忠賢排擠謫戍代州；

• 孫承宗在萬曆三十二年已中進士第二名，天啟元年已是兵部侍郎並主持遼東防務，時魏忠賢尚未發跡，支持孫承宗的是首輔葉向高，而後來魏忠賢則指使黨羽陷害孫承宗致其被罷官；

• 魏忠賢曾迫害楊漣等人；

• 孫承宗推進戰線修錦州和寧遠兩城，才有袁崇煥的寧遠和寧錦兩次大捷，非魏忠賢之功；戰後魏忠賢貪其功為自己和閹黨所有，反而指使黨羽彈劾袁崇煥「不救錦州」，迫其辭職。

注釋

Early life (1568–1585)

Little is known of Wei's pre-court life. Wei was illiterate throughout his life, which may be an indication that he was born into a peasant or merchant class family. He is presumed to have been born in 1568 in Suning County (100 miles southeast of Beijing), to have married a girl with the surname of Fang and to have castrated himself at age 21 (Ming dynastic records claim that he did so in order to escape his gambling debts). Due to his infamy in Chinese culture over the past 400 years, other stories of his early life have appeared, many showing him as a ruffian and a compulsive gambler.

Early court life (1585–1619)

Through a relative of his mother, Wei was able to enter into service in the Forbidden City. As a eunuch in the Ming court, Wei slowly gained the favor of various palace officials while working in various unofficial positions. In 1605, he was given the job of serving meals to Lady Wang and her infant son Zhu Youxiao, who would eventually become the Tianqi Emperor. While serving in this position, he grew close to Zhu Youxiao's wet nurse, Madame Ke. As Zhu Youxiao grew older, he became extremely attached to both Madame Ke and Wei Zhongxian, treating them as his de facto parents once his mother died in 1619.

Political rise (1620–1624)

When the Wanli Emperor and his heir, the Taichang Emperor, both died in 1620, the palace bureaucracy was thrown into a succession crisis. The death of the Taichang Emperor brought Madame Ke, Wei Zhongxian, and Zhu Youxiao under the supervision of Lady Li, the Taichang Emperor's favorite consort, whom Zhu Youxiao hated. Not wanting China to fall under the temporary rule of a regent (Zhu Youxiao was still 15, and underage) Donglin activist Yang Lian invaded the Forbidden City, captured Zhu Youxiao, and had him proclaimed emperor in his own right. With Lady Li essentially deposed, it became much easier for Wei and Madame Ke to influence the imperial court's decisions.

Soon after Zhu Youxiao was enthroned as the Tianqi Emperor, it became clear that he was much more interested in carpentry and building projects than in court matters; he often left such matters to Wei and the Grand Secretaries. Wei's loyalty to the Tianqi Emperor paid quick dividends – by 1625, he had become the minister of the Eastern Depot, a force of over one thousand uniformed policemen headquartered in the Forbidden City. As the Tianqi Emperor's de facto father and protector, Wei eventually became responsible for delivering imperial edicts, and any order from the palace was issued in the name of the emperor as well as Wei, the "Depot Minister". Fourteen of Wei's relatives were either ennobled or received hereditary military positions; some were even appointed to high official positions. As fear of Wei's power became more and more prevalent in China, many local officials commissioned the building of temples to his honor, much to the chagrin of Confucian scholars.

Donglin incidents (1624–1627)

After the Wanli Emperor's (1563–1620) long and underwhelming reign, the Donglin faction of activist scholars had hoped that the Taichang and Tianqi emperors would prove to be "Confucian gentlemen". When the Tianqi Emperor proved just as indifferent to his imperial responsibilities as his grandfather was and an illiterate eunuch seemed to be the most powerful figure in the Forbidden City, the Donglin scholars decided that their intervention was sorely needed. Donglin sympathizer and Ming censor Zhou Zongjian impeached Wei Zhongxian in July 1622, imploring the emperor to remove him from the palace. In 1624, Yang Lian wrote a memorial to Tianqi condemning Wei of "24 crimes", some of them fabricated. Both attempts were unsuccessful, and turned Wei against the Donglin party.

As head of the Eastern Depot, Wei's power to arrest and convict dissidents was technically confined to peasants and merchants. Arrests and interrogations of officials had to be done through the Embroidered-Uniform Guard, who were under command of prison director Xu Xianchun. However, Wei's true power came through his commission to deliver the emperor's edicts, as well as his close relationship with the emperor. Xu was the one who rounded up six of the Donglin party's leaders in 1625 (including Wei's detractor Yang Lian), whom he had accused of squandering public money through their bureaucracy positions. After lengthy interrogations and torture, all six died, apparently without imperial edict. Seven other Donglin scholars, Zhou Zongjian among them, were rounded up and killed in 1626. Over the two-year period of 1625–26, hundreds of other presumed Donglin sympathizers were demoted or purged from the government. Although Wei's exact involvement in these arrests and killings is not known, his overall control of the palace and the emperor's powers of edict ensure his involvement in some degree.

Fall from power and suicide (late 1627)

The Tianqi Emperor died in 1627, and although many expected Wei to attempt to seize the throne, no such coup happened. According to Li Sunzhi (a Donglin sympathizer), Wei had previously attempted to convince Empress Zhang to adopt his nephew, Wei Liangqing, in order to continue his manipulation of the throne. However, the empress refused. Because none of the Tianqi Emperor's three sons lived to adulthood, the emperor conferred the right to rule to his younger brother, Zhu Youjian, who became the Chongzhen Emperor on 2 October 1627.

Although the Chongzhen Emperor was intent on ruling without any decision-making surrogates, he did not immediately dismiss Wei. When Wei offered to resign just six days after the Chongzhen Emperor's reign began, the emperor refused. A month later, Wei decreed that no more temples should be built in his honor. In the months afterwards, multiple complaints about and calls for Wei's impeachment came before the emperor. After ignoring the first few, the Chongzhen Emperor finally called for evidence of Wei's faults from officials. In response to this, "more than one hundred" officials sent memorials denouncing Wei. On December 8, the Chongzhen Emperor issued an edict listing Wei's crimes, and exiled him south to Fengyang (in present-day Anhui).

As Wei traveled to Fengyang, one of the Chongzhen Emperor's commissioners warned the emperor that Wei might work with other demoted officials of the deceased Tianqi Emperor to stage a rebellion. Acting on the warning, the Chongzhen Emperor ordered the Embroidered-Uniform Guard to arrest Wei and bring him back to Beijing. On December 13, informants found Wei and told him of the edict. That night, he and his entourage stopped at an inn 150 miles south of Beijing. Wei and his secretary proceeded to hang themselves from the rafters with their own belts. After discovering Wei's death, the rest of his entourage managed to escape the area before the guards came.

The Chongzhen Emperor's retribution to Wei and his political allies was swift and severe. In early 1628, Wei's corpse was dismembered and displayed in his native village as a warning to the public. By 1629, 161 of Wei's associates had been punished by the Chongzhen Emperor; of those, 24 were sentenced to execution. Madam Ke was beaten to death by an interrogator just 11 days after Wei's death.

Legacy and dramatizations

Since his death, Wei has been seen by Chinese people and scholars as the instigator of the Tianqi era's collective atrocities. According to historical Chinese scholars, Wei's faults lay not necessarily in his persecution of the Donglin party, but in wielding power that was only supposed to be used by emperors themselves. Stories and dramatizations of this persecution were written just months after his death, and gained a large public audience. In 2009, a 42-hour primetime television series dramatizing Wei Zhongxian and Madam Ke's power during the reign of the Tianqi Emperor was shown on Chinese television. The series also portrayed the Wei Zhongxian and the Tianqi Emperor in a negative light.