Great question. For the most part, Beowulf's character is similar to other epic heroes like Achilles, Aeneas, and Hector. Like these three men, Beowulf is a courageous and skilled fighter who leads his warriors in battle. Also, like many other epic heroes, Beowulf is highly concerned with winning glory and carving out a legendary reputation for himself. This idea is revisited again and again in Beowulf, and the process of winning glory and fame through the performance of brave deeds becomes one of the text's most important qualities. Indeed, one could say that winning fame grants a hero a kind of immortality, as his name is remembered and venerated long after he dies.

However, there is a key difference between Beowulf and some other epic heroes, especially Achilles. While Achilles is brave and skilled in battle, he's also represented as vain and somewhat self-obsessed. Beowulf, on the other hand, while not perfect by any means, is represented as a little more selfless. He's devoted to the lords and kings who lead him, and he's concerned with bringing them honor through his own bravery. Additionally, as a king, Beowulf is represented as kind, benevolent, and concerned with the welfare of his own people. In this sense, Beowulf is perhaps more similar to Hector than he is to Achilles, as Hector is represented as a courteous family man as well as an epic hero. 

This is a great question. As you can imagine, there are many characteristics that Beowulf and other epic heroes have in common. For example, Achilles, Aeneas, Hector, and Beowulf are all brave, proud and fearless. They are all great fighters as well who go against great odds.

What separates Beowulf though is that the epic poem views him from a diachronic lens. In other words, we get to see Beowulf as a young daring hero and an older king. In light of this point, we can say that Beowulf develops into someone who does not merely care about personal glory and honor. He is a man who cares about his people as a ruler. Achilles and the others are not kings. So, they did not have to develop this side to them. 

Like Achilles, Beowulf doesn't hesitate in proclaiming his heroism to anyone who'll listen. In Nordic culture, it was considered only right and proper for a brave warrior to boast openly about his exploits. But unlike Achilles, Beowulf isn't ultimately looking out for number one. He has a very strong sense of personal loyalty to Hrothgar, king of the Danes. Contrast this with Achilles's surly contempt for Agamemnon, who's supposed to be his king, his earthly superior.

Beowulf may have covered himself in glory by killing Grendel and his mother, but there was always a higher purpose to his daring feats of bravery. Thanks to Beowulf, the kingdom is now safe and at peace for the first time in years. As for Achilles, he fights for his own glory; Achaea can go hang as far as he's concerned. Achilles skulks in his tent like a petulant teenager while his comrades are being slaughtered, because Agamemnon took one of his slaves. And even when he does finally return to the fray, it's only for the very personal reason that his bosom buddy Patroclus has been killed in battle by Hector, breaker of horses.